


Prayer to a Dark Sun

by CourageousPrincess



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Awoken Robin Hood, Gen, Goro Akechi lives, Goro did not have a happy childhood, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced sexual trama, Mentions of Suicide Attempts, Referenced Suicidal Thoughts, Scars, Wildcard Goro, Yaldi!Igor is a horrible person, after getting the stuffing beaten out of him twice, just your normal Goro redemtion fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:07:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 77,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26930383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CourageousPrincess/pseuds/CourageousPrincess
Summary: He was alone for so long, unable to trust anyone. Then, suddenly, all these people were crashing their way into his life.Akechi couldn't understand why they cared about him, or why they went to such lengths to save him. But, that didn't matter so much anymore. The Phantom Thieves of heart were his precious friends, and he would protect them in turn.
Comments: 11
Kudos: 71





	1. Chapter 1

He could feel it raging just beneath his skin, feel it pulsing and throbbing to the beat of his racing, erratic heartbeat and pulse, in time with the distant echo of thundering footsteps darting down the steel-lined hallways, drawing ever closer. Loki’s ire was an ever-familiar storm just barely contained; it raged within his heart in bleak anticipation for the coming fight. A heavy sigh escaped his lips, it was tiring trying to keep Loki in check. In the back of his mind, Robin Hood was trying to ease the trickster’s erratic pain-fueled writhing to ease his mental burden. At the moment, he was dressed in Robin’s colors; snowy white and ruby red and gleaming gold- it was the mask the thieves knew best. And, as such, it was the best way to confront them, the best way to veil his true strength until later.

That, and he could control the justice-oriented persona’s power best. The noble thief, born from desires he’d assumed were long since dead in his bitter heart, was a stark contrast to the horned fool, a lashing, screaming inferno whose fury ebbed and waned in cycles. If he was a small sailboat out in the vastness of the ocean, then Robin Hood’s presence was like a strong gale wind guiding him towards an unseen shoar- whereas Loki was a raging typhoon that tossed him about with high, thrashing waves and savage winds in the hopes of tossing him into black waters and letting the abyss consume him. Born from a lifetime of pain, the horned god was as easy to control as a wounded tiger that had been hedged into a corner with no escape. Robin, on the other hand, was a loyal hunting hawk; trained and awaiting his next command.

Closer. The louder those footsteps got, the harder Loki thrashed against his restraints. The horned trickster longed to fight, yearned to fight -winning and losing meant nothing to him, only that the foe was strong- as it was the only outlet for the pain when it reached the peak of its cycle. Next to him, working ceaselessly to restrain the pain and rage, Robin Hood was quiet and somber, just as he’d been the night they supposedly killed one Kurusu Akira.

He remembered that night in fragments, the stress of it all left his memory disjointed. That night, he remembered the internal struggle to hold himself together in some semblance of normal- Loki had been raging quire fiercely at the time, burning almost like a fever just beneath his skin. Robin Hood had hidden himself away at the time, lapsing in his duty to quell the other persona. Not that he blamed the white thief, he would have run away to, if he could. It hadn’t been easy for him, despite the casual grin he’d doned as he’d pressed the stolen gun to Ku- to the other’s head, he’d relied on Loki’s rage the entire time to keep his hand steady, keep himself from hesitating.

Akira, Joker… Justice.

During his time playing pretend with the phantom thieves was the calmest he’d ever been, especially when the raven-haired trickster used personas he claimed were of the justice arcana. It was likely because at the time he was using Robin Hood, who shared the same arcana. Joker mentioned off-handed that justice was his arcana, just as Panther was of the lovers, and Queen of the priestess. He’d wanted to laugh then, still wanted to. Joker was wrong, he was the fool; Joker was justice. After all, he’d only awoken to Robin Hood after accidentally forming a bond with the raven.

Joker knew none of this, it was just one of many secrets he’d kept lodged in his heart; the other didn’t need to know. Dead men have no need for the truth. That had been his reasoning then, believing his temporary ally would die.

This time he would not fail. Not with how much was at stake. Failure would not be tolerated by either of his jailers, and the price of such was either torment or death.

Robin Hood murmured soothing words and gentle encouragement into one ear. Loki hissed violent promises into the other. In the distance, he finally could see the phantom thieves as they approached where he was perched; the size of their group made moving stealthfully a chore. But, what they lost in stealth, they made up in power. It was a strength that went beyond simply having numbers; the thieves all battled as a single unit, each one picking up a role and sticking to it until the end. He’d seen it first hand, was even a part of it.

Wistfully, he brushed such thoughts aside. Now wasn’t the time to get nostalgic, that could happen when he was drowning out the sorrow of having killed them and once more questioning himself if vengeance was worth the hefty price.

When the mismatched group of colorful personalities were comfortably in his crosshairs, he took aim. Though he aimed with the intent to shoot Joker in the head, there was no killing desire behind it; he didn’t expect the shot to hit anything besides the ground. As anticipated, Joker ground to a halt just in time for the bullet to strike the ground right in front of his left foot. The half-hearted short compromised his position, drawing all sets of eyes towards him. Lurching onto his toes, his body was both heavy and light at the same time as he dropped down from the support beams, flipping through the air dramatically before landing. Those eyes that once saw his as ‘friend’ all now burned with various degrees of animosity and fury as they glared at his white form. Well, most of them did.

Silently rising to his feet, he slipped on a charming smile as his eyes skimmed the familiar faces of the people he’d betrayed, the one who he’d almost killed. Stepping out from beneath the slight gloom of the shadows and into the industrial lighting, Loki trembled with anticipation right beneath the surface. Robin Hood did nothing, said nothing as he kept a tight hold on the fool. The faces that stared back at him, despite belonging to people he, for a brief period, called his allies, were a mixture of hate, anticipation, hesitance, and determination. Not the amalgamation of hate and determination he’d steeled himself for.

Joker was even more jarring; his face the calm mast of indifference it always was, but in the slate depths of the other teen’s eyes, was that, relief? Was the idiot actually glad to see him? The sight of emotions far from hate and wrath left him reeling. He was wholly unprepared.

The show had to go on, even if it was improvised and he was grasping for ideas.

“Long time no see,” He said casually, as if he wasn’t here to kill them all, as though the last time he saw Joker, the other teen didn’t have a bloody hole in his head. He found himself feeling utterly exhausted. Feeling tired was nothing new; these last 2 years had left him feeling nothing else then mentally spent, but the dragging exhaustion he felt at the moment was something new.

“Akechi!” Skull seethed, openly displaying the hostility his companions were much less willing to express. It was odd, he was expecting such extreme emotions from Noir or Oracle, heck, even queen would have made more sense.

Instead, Noir and Oracle looked over at him with the most pity, like he was a ratty, soaked animal on the side of the road. Queen stared him down with indifference, some hatred adding heat to her glare. He would have been perplexed, if their pity didn’t make him want to tear out their eyes and scream.

“I have to say, I’m very impressed that you managed to deceive me and cheat death. I commend you for pulling it off,” He continued lightly, still acting as if among friends and not foes. Friends… What did having them feel like? Was it the same peace he felt among them months (a lifetime) ago? “It seems I underestimated your abilities, but it will be the last time, I promise.”

“Unfortunately, we can’t exactly say the same about you,” Queen responded, her voice just as rigid and tense as her body. Though she wasn't in a battle stance, her posture made it clear she was ready to fight at a moment’s notice. “we figured sooner or later you’d pick up on us, and come.”

Akechi hummed in response, he’d really underestimated their resourcefulness. A mistake he would not repeat. “you know, you truly are interesting, all of you. A quiet, unassuming leader who possesses the courage and determination to take action, and a group of people so radically different from each other you’d never guess that they could work so well together.” He said, a bitter chuckle spilled past his lips. “under different circumstances, we could have been such great rivals… or, dare I say it, even friends.”

Joker’s eyes glinted, something unreadable reflecting within them. “We’re already rivals,” The raven-haired youth said confidently. There was a hint of pride to his words. “and, it’s not too late,”

Joker said it all with such seriousness and determination. His self-control slipped and laughter bubbled up in response, like water overflowing its container. “I truly wish it could be…” Akechi replied mournfully. His smile broke for a moment, warping into a grimace, the envy he felt was a pitch-black flame. “it’s envious, how free your heart is, it the exact opposite of my own.”

The truth was bitter on his tongue, but Robin Hood demanded honesty, insisted that it was only fair they do that much to someone still trying to see the white in red so dark it was black. “I wonder why we couldn’t have met a few years earlier, Akira,” The name slipped past unintentionally, betraying just how he wished for a different life.

Joker looked at him with mournful eyes. In that instant, the bond between them, the reason for Robin’s existence, Igor’s ire, and so much pain, grew stronger. The sudden swell of emotion almost toppled him over, would have if he didn’t have Loki’s pain and fury to lean on. Why? Just how was the justice confidant – their fragile bond- growing stronger when he actively tried to break it? His anguish spurred Loki on.

“Akechi…” Panther murmured, her blue eyes dark with a heart-broken and mournful look. The platinum-haired girl hugged her arms closer to her body as she looked away.

“… There’s no use in bringing up hypotheticals, not at this point,” he said, gathering up the last of his wits. He couldn’t stumble now. “this is reality, and that won’t change.”

“Akechi-kun, Crow, why are you helping a man like Shido?” Noir demanded. “You must have seen the full extent of his palace, the view outside! So, why? Why are you willing to kill for a man like that?” Her words were likely to play on his sympathy.

Instead, a copper taste like blood burned in his mouth. She didn’t know, none of them knew, but his mind was too fragile and worn down to think logically. Instead, it flooded his veins with hate.

“Help, cooperating? I’d much sooner die by seppuku than willingly assist him!” He spat, refusing to even use that bastard’s name. “though, I do suppose to outsiders, it does look that way. But, I assure you, I care nothing for that human trash.”

“That statement contradicts your actions,” Fox pointed out, voice heavy as though he was scolding a child. “you claim to not be helping Shido, and yet you conspire with him and even kill others for his self-gain.”

“Yeah!” Skull growled. “that sure sounds like helpin’ ‘im to me!”

Loki cackled as molten hot anger seared his flesh from the inside out, threatening to twist the smile he was barely holding onto into something sinister and insane. Not yet, stay calm and don’t let anger control. Clinging to that mantra, Akechi managed to stay in control somewhat, but the plastic smile he shot the bleached blond couldn’t be contained. Despite his desperate grasp at control, laughter; high in pitch and desperate dribbled and spilled from his mouth like a river of blood, unstable and insane like he felt deep, deep down.

“The only reason I’ve offered him my assistance is to make Masayoshi Shido… my father…” He choked on the words, insanity forcing him to spit the word out despite being toxic on his tongue. He no longer cared about keeping it all in. He could feel his gloved fingers press bruises into his biceps. “all of this is to make him acknowledge me. And then exact my long-awaited revenge.”

Between the sudden flood of intense emotions and Loki’s claws tearing into his self-control, it was becoming very, very hard to keep it together. Robin Hood desperately worked to restrain Loki and soothe his master, but the edges of the brunette’s vision were turning red. He saw their looks, pitty, sorrow, the way their anger dropped. Damn them, he didn’t want their pity, didn’t want anyone’s pity. Couldn’t they just go back to hating him? That was so much easier to deal with.

“Shido is your father?!” Oracle squeaked.

“…That, certainly explains some things,” Fox muttered.

Robin Hood managed to pull him back from the edge of fury, before he lost control and Loki’s madness drag him down. Not yet, there would be time soon enough to let that monster free, but not right now. The anger was still there; at Shido, the source of his deplorable life, at Akira, who just couldn’t die, at himself, the self-hate an ocean of sticky tar that was so close to suffocating him, at Igor, who just wouldn’t let him rest. It burned, burned, burned in time with Loki’s howling.

“Remember? I told you before, how my mother had been in a relationship with a good-for-nothing man? That makes me his bastard child… My very existence is nothing but a scandal!” His voice was sinking into hysteria. More laughter spilled out, more honesty. “Life for my mother turned into hell after having me. Abandoned by her family and ostracized by society, she eventually gave in and died. I’m nothing more than a cursed child, for her, and everyone.”

“That’s, that’s horrible!” Oracle whispered, her body trembling.

“…no one deserves to be treated like that,” Panther muttered darkly. Beside her, Skull nodded solemnly in agreement.

His skin was crawling, body a hair’s breadth from turning into a quivering mess. What remained of his self-control was crumbling faster and faster, threads were fraying into twine, the seams could only take much more before they snapped, the glue was flaking, the dam was groaning under this unrelenting torrent of buried emotions.

As if he could see the emotional storm raging beneath the other’s skin, Akira took a bold step forward. The sight of the raven approaching, eyes wide with what his fracturing mind saw as pity caused his mask to slip just long enough to freeze the raven in place with his eyes. Inside, Robin Hood grappled with Loki, grasping at the horned persona’s wrists to restrain him and give their master room to breathe and calm down.

“I resented him, you know, for my entire life, but he was already a high-ranking official by the time I found him. An unwanted kid like me could do nothing.” Snap, an eruption of laughter rattled his thin body. “Then… a miracle happened!”

Robin shuddered under the pressure of his master’s anguish. Standing before the phantom thieves, Akechi finally released the bruising vice on his arms, then dropped to his sides and dangled there as his eyes were drawn upward, a vicious smile slashing across his features.

“That's when I learned of the cognitive world!” His voice rose several octaves as that tugged on the edges of his words. The soft leather of his gloves creaked and groaned as his hands curled into tight fists. “Someone, be it god or the devil himself, gave me this power, power and the directive to burn Shido’s empire to the ground from the inside out!”

“Oh shit!” Skull cursed. All of them seemed taken aback by the sudden burst of insanity.

It was a miracle that he was still, somehow, in total control. An aura of murder and killing intent settled over him like a cloak, he was too tired and broken at this point to keep it all in. It wasn't like it mattered at this point. In response, the thieves tensed and took up defensive postures. It was inevitable at this point, both sides were going to fight, and the one with the stronger resolve would be the one to tear Shido back down to earth.

“Whether I wanted to or not, I marched into hell, in this eat or be eaten world, I did what I had to survive. And unlike you all, I never had to tamper with a person’s heart to get the job done.” Though, it was less because he chose to. No one had taught him it was possible, he never had someone to guide him like they did.

“Well at least we ain’t murderer's like you!” Skull shot back, teeth bared.

“Yes, though our action might be morally ambiguous, all we did was make our targets own up to their crims and confess their sins, giving them the push to grow as people and repent!” Noir countered, supporting her teammate.

“Crow, please calm-“

“Oh Shut up!” He howled, cutting Joker off. “It doesn’t matter! My goal is finally within my grasp, and I won’t let anyone stop me! When he finally reaches the apex of power, he’ll finally acknowledge me as the reason, and I’ll reveal to him the truth!” His mouth twisted into a malicious smile. “And then, when he’s finally hit the lowest depths of despair knowing I- an utter disgrace to his career and the world- am what got him here, I will cause him to tear his own power to shreds.”

Once more, he was glad to be dressed in Robin Hood’s colors. Though he was now shaking and hunched over, the white person remained on standby next to him, quietly awaiting a command. If it had been Loki in power, he likely would have lost control much earlier into this conversation.

“What a warped thought… it’s almost pitiable,” Fox murmured.

“It’s almost time now, only a few scant days until the election, I refuse to let you all interfere with my plans!” Akechi seethed. “but, if I kill you all here…”

“Hmph, we refuse to die here, not for something as petty as that.” Mona retaliated. “you might talk big, but you’re really nothing more than a little kid throwing a temper tantrum!”

“Let’s see if you’ve all got the bite to back that up!” He snapped back. “I’ll warn you now, don’t underestimate me if you want to survive. I am personally going to drag Shido Masayoshi down into a living hell, all crafted with his own two hands!”

“Tch, the same can be said of you, do you carry the resolve to kill all of us?” Queen challenged darkly. “you might have resolved yourself to kill actual people before, but can you muster up that resolve again?”

“Shut up!” He shouted. “…Joker, everyone, rest easy, and die!”

Glaring at Joker, he found the pity-mistaken emotion replaced with resolve and determination. A fire burned in those gunmetal grey eyes, along with a promise, it unnerved him, but didn’t dissuade his wrath. Akechi was too far gone for anything to stop him now.

“…Let’s finish this.” The raven said cooly.

“Agreed, the time for words has passed.” He snarled.

“You sure sound confident, but don’t go pressin’ your luck.” Skull said darkly. “we already know all your tricks from back when you were workin’ with us.”

He felt the urge to laugh. Oh, he’d just about forgotten how dim-witted the blond could be. Skull truly embodied the stereotype about blonds being dumb at times, and that wasn’t even his natural hair color! It was so funny he’d kill his gut if he started laughing here, and this wasn't where and when he was going to die, no, not until his vengeance was fulfilled. No one would let him die until it was all over, that fact had been beaten into him.

“Joker…” He cooed mockingly. “how could you be so successful while having an idiot as your partner?”

“Huh!? What the eff- quit bluffin’!” The blond snapped.

“It’s no bluff.” Queen corrected her brutish teammate. “If he truly is behind the mental shutdowns, he’s likely only shown us a fraction of his strength.”

There was a reason she was the strategist. But, like so many others, she’d quickly forgotten about the other incidents. Those were what separated him from the thieves; changing hearts and killing shadows were things anyone could do, but driving people into the depths of madness, well, not so much. That called for a special power.

He chuckled softly. “Oh, don’t worry, you’ll get to see my true power soon enough, as your all dieing.” He promised sadistically. “you can take that knowledge down with you to the grave.”

As he finished speaking, a pair of shadows manifested behind him, almost as if called over by his boiling ire. He didn’t bother to look behind him and see what he’d ended up with; it didn’t matter. It had been nearly a month since he’d last observed this ragtag group of theirs, and they were always getting stronger. Time to see how they’d grown.

“Kill them!” He commanded with a wave of his arm.

At his behest, the shadows shed off their masked forms and transformed into their true bodies, reading themselves for battle. Beneath his skin, both his personas shuddered, one in gleeful anticipation, the other in resignation. Though he drew his weapon, Akechi had no intention of fighting just yet.

“You know, the mental shutdowns aren’t the only incidents people are talking about.” He reminded them with faux kindness. “there are also the breakdowns which cause people to become psychotic, resulting in accidents and scandals. Now then, how do you suppose those can be explained?”

“Guys! Be careful- something's coming!” He heard Oracle warn. She, likely she could see the spike in power caused by Loki.

He wasn’t about to use the horned god, yet, but he didn’t need to fully summon the chaotic persona to use that special power. He wanted to hold on to control for as long as possible, after all.

“Let me show you how I did it! It’s a very special power of mine- one that none of you could ever hope to have!” Akechi cried gleefully.

“Persona!”

Call of Chaos was, an odd ability, but one he’d used often. Loki raged and howled as a dark shadow of his form manifested with the breaking of Akechi’s mask. He could practically hear chains breaking as the skill engulfed the shadows to either side of him in darkness before dissolving away. The skill was a double-edged sword, it inflicted desperation, an effect that caused one’s attack to spike to its max while dropping defenses down to their lowest. It also caused the recipient to go mad, lashing out at everything and anything that so much as moved, if the proper control was not exercised.

He saw horror and confusion paint the thieves. They knew about Robin Hood, had seen the white perona’s power many times in Sae’s palace, but Loki wasn’t Robin Hood. It had never occurred to them that there might be others with the power to summon multiple personas, beyond Joker. Though, unlike their leader, he couldn’t call upon several different ones, he only had Loki and Robin, but they were all he needed.

“What was that?!” Oracle exclaimed. “That wasn’t Robin Hood… Could it have been a different persona?”

He smiled, smiled, and felt the urge to laugh bubble in his chest. “Even the feeblest existence can gain tremendous power once the chains on its heart are broken.” He explained cryptically. “It would do you some good to not underestimate these two. Good luck.”

With that little warning, he jumped back to the sidelines. He didn’t believe those two, even with desperation, had the power to defeat the thieves, not in the slightest. This was just a test. He wanted to see how much stronger they’d gotten, it was by his hand that they would all die by. He refused to accept anything else as a possibility.

The burning pain in his chest went ignored, he’d done too much to back out now. Guilt was saved for the end of the road, when he finally pressed a loaded gun to his head and pulled the trigger. Igor wouldn’t allow anything less.

Watching the thieves ready their weapons and fight, there was no joy, only grim anticipation. Inside, Loki growled and twisted about in anticipation for their turn to fight. Robin Hood fussed about with his arrows and bow nervously, it was the white persona’s power he would be using first. He would play his card close to his chest for as long as possible. He needed to.

He’d resolved himself not to think of anything unnecessary beforehand, but the grip on his self-control was weak from mental stress. Watching the 8 of them fight in tandem was, nostalgic, after all, he’d once been a part of that harmony. Even though he’d promised, he found himself wandering into a memory without even trying.

The twisted nightmarish landscape of Mementos was such a familiar sight after traversing its depths for almost 3 years now. So far, none of the thieves seemed suspicious of his mute surprise, or that fact he’d been unfazed by the workings of the dark labyrinth at times. Maybe they just assumed that he’d wandered parts of the twisting subway before he joined them, thus he was already partly used to the palace of humanity’s collective unconscious? Whatever the reason, despite having played the part of the second detective prince for a few years, some parts of the act were hard to maintain for long periods of time.

The group was situated in one of the higher levels of mementos, training in between targets in preparation for another raid on Sae’s palace. This was the part of his act he worried about the most. He couldn’t exactly let the thieves know he was proficient in fighting shadows alone, even with Robin Hood, the weaker of his two personas. He told them he’d only known about the metaverse for a month or so. It was a constant balancing act of feigning ignorance here, and playing the truth he already learned years ago as simple intuition.

The Nue’s claws bounced off his beam saber, the sharp tips coming dangerously close to his face. Everyone had been fighting for a while, and exhaustion was starting to settle in as their previous energy had been partially depleted. He wasn’t worried, he had fought against stronger foes than this with much, much less energy, and came out the victor on his own. Hissing as unrelenting claws tore into the skin of his right calf, he readied a bless attack and watched with satisfaction as the Nue was toppled off balance due to a crit.

“Crow, watch out!” Someone to his left shouted.

Before he could act on the warning, pain burned as a curse attack, Robin’s bane, landed, doing the exact opposite of good to his health. Because it was his weakness at the moment, he crumpled to his knees, weapons clattering helplessly against the ground as the curse-using foe readied another attack. Helpless, there was nothing he could do but brace for the impact of a second attack.

Before the gleaming spell could tear his flesh asunder and deal a finishing blow, Skull rushed at the shadow and slammed the body of his weapon into its torso, knocking it back. While Noir and Mona took that opportunity to pounce and rain a fury of blows down on it, the skull-masked thief ran over and offered a gloved hand. He accepted it, nearly toppling into his ally from the force the blond used to help him up.

“Thanks, I’m not sure I would have survived that,” He said.

“No problem, you got my back, and I got yours,” Skull replied easily with a lopsided grin.

His guard was down. On his own, he would have exercised much more caution, would have anticipated such an attack. Because, alone, that situation would have been the end of him. But, for the time being, he was part of a team, and could relax his guard. The thieves, they all covered his blind spots just as he did for them.

The sound of Cerberus howling in pain brought Akechi back to reality. He looked up just in time to see the white beast fall, darkened body turning to ash. Cu Chulainn was the only one left, and the spear-wielding shadow would not last much longer, it’s health already depleted past half. Panther’s whip curled around the spear’s body, Cu Chulainn's grip on its weapon tight, as Queen let loose a strong nuclear attack. Mona and Skull chipped away at more health with a wind and physical attack respectively. Joker landed the finishing blow, using the black dragon’s bless skill.

With both shadows defeated, he stepped forward to take their place, weapon poised to attack. “Well done, I wouldn’t have expected anything less from you all. I would have been sorely disappointed if you’d all lost. After all,” He scoffed, lips curled into some cross between a smile and a sneer as he stared his former allies down. “I wouldn’t give up the chance to massacre you all with my own two hands!”

Taking a battle stance, Akechi steeled himself. His persona's heart wasn’t in it, not that his own was truly in it either, but, Robin Hood was loyal. Neither could afford to waver right now, not when they had strong enemies on all sides who knew his weakness, and one who could actively use said weakness. Sparks of pain snapped up and down his right arm as Panther’s whip cracked against the clothed limb, Noir following suit with a one-shot kill. Neither were particularly effective against him, but they still hurt nonetheless.

Hissing as a garudyn whipped at his body, He targeted Joker with a kougaon, the body of a saber stalling Fox as the bless skill hit home, it didn’t do much to the raven, but he was also able to get in an eigaon, hitting Skull square in the chest with the curse attack.

He bit down on his lip to keep from screaming as Joker’s curse attack, an Eigaon of his own, struck him in the back. Struggling to keep himself steady, he endured a freidyn attack from Queen, and narrowly dodged one of Fox’s physical skills. Fire, nuclear, another wind attack, the damage was quickly piling up, but he did manage to land a few more bless, and an almighty attack on the group.

“Ngh… Damn…!” He gasped. Robin was trying to help keep him standing, but there was only so much encouragement and gentle words could so.

A small chuckle escaped his lips as Joker hit him with a particularly strong curse attack. “So… neither of us was showing our true strength, hm?” He panted, breathing ragged and uneven. “but… don’t underestimate me!” He howled.

He had Robin Hood cloak him in a mind charge to counter the debuffs cast. He was nearing the end of his strength, but refused to give in. Not when his goal was in sight. He cast a few more megidolans, but received more damage in turn. Eventually, his strength, the one gifted from Robin, gave out.

Hunched over, he let his body drop from overexertion. This pain was nothing- he’d endured much, much worse over the years. But, despite how strong Robin was, the persona’s power was not enough for an 8 on one fight. His legs gave out, leaving him shaking and kneeling on the icy ground.

“Damn it, damn it, damn it!” He hissed. Inside, Loki rage, their pain and frustration bleeding together, the edge of one and the start of the other blurred and lost.

“So he’s able to turn people psychotic,” Mona noted. “I thought it might have been a tool like the nav, but it seems to just be his own persona’s power,”

“I just can’t believe it, the ability to drive others made was born from within his own heart?” Queen murmured despairingly. “I can’t even imagine what he must have endured in the past to give rise to such a power.”

Grunting in the mute agony, he managed to heave himself back up onto his feet. He could feel it, Loki seething beneath his skin. Robin meekly stepped aside to let his horned counterpart take the helm, the agonizing and maddening surge of power that was Loki lapping at his mental heels, tugging and pulling at his mind to drag it down into a dark place born from pain and hate.

“I’ll kill you all… You’ll all die…!” He heaved, toppling forward onto his hands and knees. Logic and reason were beginning to fail, making room for insanity and seething fury. Soon, he would succumb to Loki’s berserk spell and lash out with the last of his strength. His hand stung as he pounded a fist against the ground.

“Will you just stop this already?! You’re fighting the wrong people!” Panther, Ann, pleaded in a desperate voice, trying to break through to him. “We both hate the same guy! Why do we have to fight each other like this?!”

“…Killing us won’t make you happy, you know” Queen added somberly.

“But- I… I…!” He gasped out. He’d been isolated and alone for so long, abandoned many times in the past. Did he remember how to trust? Did he even know how to trust? Robin’s gentle reminder that these people only wanted to help was nearly drowned out by Loki’s demand for violence.

“I know Shido, and a lot of other shitty adults, hurt you in ways you can never forgive, but you’re more than your trauma! You’re your own person- you gotta remember that!” Skull barked.

“Skull is right, you might not have had any options in the past, but you aren’t alone now!” Joker said, a desperate note to his voice as he tried to break through Akechi’s hesitance.

“You know… sometimes I think about that fake medjed that you guys made up…” Oracle pipped in. “That was the worst trap… but, if not for that, I don’t think I’d be here right now.

“Uhh, basically-“ The orange-haired girl stammered, scrambling for a point to make. “it doesn’t matter where you start over!”

“How ineloquently put!” Fox scoffed. “The start-“ Oracle hurriedly slapped a hand over the bluenette to keep him from ruining her point.

“And… you don’t really hate Joker, do you? Or want to kill any of us.” Mona pointed out, voice careful and gentle. “in our fight, you were holding back without intending to, weren’t you. Even if it was to deceive us, a part of you genuinely saw us all as comrades… as teammates.”

Akechi froze, body going rigid. Did he really feel that way, deep down? No! That- that cat had to be lying- about him holding back and about him seeing them as companions! His entire life, all he’d ever had was himself. The world and other people, they didn’t want a curse like him, he was nothing but a burden, and he was fine with that. He was fine with being alone.

Letting people in, Trust? That only ever got you hurt.

“Follow your true feelings!” Mona pleaded. “even if you think people hate you or that they don’t want you around, that’s-“

Shut up, Loki hissed. “Shut up, shut up, shut up!” He screamed, fists pounding against the ground. It was all no different than the useless drivel adults and the other kids spewed at him to make him feel terrible, to hurt and eat away at him.

“Teammates?! Friends?! To hell with that!” Loki’s rage, his rage, bubbled forth. It wouldn’t be long now until his clothes shifted and reverted into the horned god’s garb. “Don’t act like you- any of you- know what it’s like to be abandoned over and over again! Why? Why am I inferior to you?! I was extremely particular about my life, my grades, my public image- anything I could control! All so someone, anyone, would want me around-

“I am an ace detective… a celebrity! Don’t act like you, people who've been accepted by others for who you truly are, know what it’s like to tear yourself apart to get others to give a damn about a mask!”

“Akechi-kun…” Noir murmured sadly.

Akechi was too far gone to know if that was pity in her eyes, in all of their eyes, but he was too far gone to care. Their eyes made his skin burn and itch like it was pressed up against ice, made his want to claw himself into a bloody mess.

“How, how, how! How can some quiet, unassuming… piece of trash be more special than me?! How can you have everything I’ve been denied without even trying? How, how, how?!” He howled, voice dripping with despair and anger.

“Crow! You need to stop!” Joker ordered.

He ignored the order, the stabbing, throbbing agony in Loki was a fever pitch in him, burning and clawing at his self-control as his body trembled violently. He was tired, tired of the pain, and tired of the loneliness. When could he stop and rest? Not here, not yet, he still had work to do.

“Just. Shut. Up!” He screeched. For a moment, he felt the cool comfort of a familiar form, saw the way the thieves all tensed.

“What was that…?!” Queen balked tensely, face going pale.

“A black mask-?!” Fox gasped.

“Then, what Kaneshiro said before,” Mona muttered.

“So… You were behind the mental shutdown after all…” Queen said with a small scowle.

“It must be related to that shadowy figure he summoned!” Oracle said. “be careful guy, his power's spiking wildly!”

He felt himself smile and laughed, a bitter, high chuckle that devolved into heavy cackling. What was so funny? He didn’t know, himself, them, everything was just so damn funny in an ironic way- he couldn’t stop the laughter from spilling out. A fun idea popped into his head. Loki’s presence naturally always dragged him down into a light madness, but what if he pushed that to its extreme?

“I just had a fun, fun idea!” He giggled hysterically. “he’s always dragging me down, but what if I push myself over the edge? What would the depths look like?” He turned to face the thieves. What did he look like? Something broken and unrecognizable as human? He sure felt that way. “It’ll be really fun- I’ve never done it to myself before!”

He felt, the crackling red embers of power, his first persona grinning and shivering in excitement at the coming fight, how completely unhinged he was, everything he’d hidden away from the world, all the ugly little details laid out in the open. It was finally time to let his first partner vent his pain, that was the only cure.

“Now then, I think it’s time I showed you my real power!” He giggled, rising unsteadily to his feet. “Come to me, Loki!”

He felt, rather than saw, the black and white persona manifest in the area above him as his back arched backward. He was greeted with the sight of gold-plaited hooved glinting in the harsh light. The black and white persona sat languidly despite the pain he felt, perched comfortably on the hilt of his grand claymore, braids fluttering back and forth in some nonexistent wind.

As darkness crawled up his legs, swirled about him like a vortex, Akechi hunched forward. A familiar, comforting even, feeling from all those many times he’d switched between his two personas, from summoning Loki at all greeted him. This was the power of his true rebellion. The crisp white and gold and red gave way to darker, cooler colors. He felt the way they watched, horror and confusion, as Robin’s colors gave way to Loki’s, as call of chaos claimed his shivering mind.

“What’s going on?!” Noir exclaimed.

“Don’t look so surprised- did you honestly think I’d shown you everything?” A familiar storm surged and dragged him down, down into an all too familiar abyss. The weights and chains pulling him down were stronger, heavier, than the normal one, dragging him to deeper depths, unfamiliar depths where maybe not even Robin could pull him back up from.

The darkness ceased surging to reveal his other outfit. “Justice? Righteous? I abandoned those ideals so long ago! The system broke me down, there was no longer a need for naivety when I could no longer look at the world through innocent eyes.” The black and dark blue bodysuit clung to his skin much tighter than Robin’s princely suit, leather straps squeezing his upper arms and thighs, as if restraining him. The deep violet gauntlets glided harmlessly over his unmasked skin, the jagged design of the helmet resembling a gaping maw decorated with sharp teeth.

“Now then, just die already!” He screeched, still writhing about as his mind tried to accommodate this new depth of madness.

“He can use two separate powers…?!” Mona exclaimed. “Then, everything… even his appearance was a fake!”

“Hehehe, it’ll be soooo much fun, Loki’s been clawing at my mind for a while now- he really wants to fight!” His voice cracked, jittery and vibrating. “I promise to make it quick, but I really will kill you all! I’ll drag you down with me if I have to!”

As crimson light flared up behind him at the behest of his persona, consuming and embracing him, the pain and exhaustion from the previous fight lifting off him like a weight, leaving his body limber and jittery with erratic energy. It felt sooo good to be like this, why had he never done this before? Akechi was deaf to the lamenting cry of his second persona, Robin Hood reduced to an observer as his beloved master descended into true insanity.

“No way!” Panther cried.

“That bastard!” Skull growled. “He made himself go psychotic!”

A fresh bleed of laughter spilled forth as Loki vanished, the familiar weight of his black iron mask returning. He glared unhinged at the thieves, at his enemies from behind red-tinted lenses, Body shaking in tandem with Loki as he awaited the fight. His eyes burned, but the pain only served to edge him on.

“Now, wouldn’t it be funny if you watched each other drop dead like flies?” He giggled. “How many before you all give up? Two, five, seven? I can’t wait to see exactly when crushing despair snuff you all out!”

“Damnit, he’s lost it!” Mona cursed. “Here comes!”

“He might have made himself go psychotic, but that doesn’t change the fact he’s still wounded from earlier, he can’t take much more!” Joker said, rallying his companions as they readied their weapons.

The sight of such comradery stung, drawing a growl from his lips. “Now die!” Akechi screeched, more animal than man. “I’ll kill you all! Crush and destroy you until none of you are left to get in my way!”

He didn’t need allies, he’d gotten this far just fine on his own! Only those too weak to do anything on their own crowded together as comrades, that was the law of this world. Cloaked in madness, he had Loki apply a tetrakarn, leaving the more physically oriented thieves unable to hit him with the full power, the barrier was only one way, meaning he could use all of Loki’s heavy-hitting physical attacks

Gripping tightly to the serrated sword he was more accustomed to using, he smiled.

Joker, the root cause of his grief, the very sight of that curly mop of ebony hair made him seeth and snarl. With his emotions ruling his actions, his attacks were mainly focused on the thieves’ leader, often losing track of the others in favor of chasing after him. This made him highly predictable, Joker swiftly changing to a persona of his that was unaffected by physical attacks.

While his physical attacks were powerful, they did not come without a cost. Between the onslaught of attacks and the health cost of his own, his stamina was slowly but surely whittled away. If he were in his right mind, Akechi would have changed his tactics to become more frugal with his resources, but as he was, he couldn’t care less as long as he could lash out.

“You’re all… just… pieces of shit… who lick each other’s wounds…!” He gasped out.

Instead of casting the usual tetrakarn, he instead had Loki cast makarakarn, a magic barrier. The fire of a maragidyn was a tidal wave of heat pushing the 8 back and giving him some breathing room. A few eigaon’s ate away at health, keeping them at bay long enough to pour energy into a powerful megidolaon. Some took more damage than others, but it did enough to force the thieves to quickly heal their wounds before surging on him again.

His anger burned hotter, his skin itched and itched under their heavy, piteous stares. How dare they, how dare they, how fucking dare they! He didn’t need their pity, or their sympathy- he didn’t need anything from anyone! He’d lasted this long just fine! Outside the madness, Robin Hood sighed, murmuring sorrow at the desperate state his lonely master had fallen into. Loki wasn't much better, whenever the horned god wasn’t manifest, he was thrashing about in pain, claws gliding over the space around his two jutting horns, where the pain originated and was at it’s worst. This pain spilled over to their master, who could feel a throbbing agony pulling behind his eyes, spurring on his mad, emotion-driven berserk state.

Eventually, even the health and stamina he received from his strongest persona was reduced to nothing, leaving him shaking and gasping for air as he calmed down from the madness induced state.

“Why are… you all… looking at me like that?!” He choked out in between gasps for air, lungs still burning from exertion and being punched in the stomach so many times by Queen. “I’ve- I’ve succeeded until… now just fine… all by myself…!

“I don’t need… teammates… I don’t…” He glared bloody murder at the raven.

One last attack filled by waning insanity, he poured his remaining strength into one grand and powerful laevateinn. He grinned as Joker was hit with the almighty attack head-on, the expression dropped quickly as the raven remained standing mostly with ease. Howling in frustration, he gripped his serrated sword in both hands and prepared to charge. Metal screeched against metal as the edge of his weapon skin across the edge of Joker’s knife.

Spite and sheer determination was not enough to keep his body going, taking the combined force of a twin megaton rade from both Joker and Skull, he collapsed to the ground. With the madness no longer there to block the pain, he groaned as his brain finally registered just how much his entire body hurt. He stayed there on the ground, letting his bruised and beaten body rest long enough for much-needed air to enter his bloodstream and relieve the lightheadedness. When he was confident he wouldn't keel back over, he heaved himself up into a crouched kneel with the assistance of both his personas.

For once, both were quiet. It was, odd, having Loki silent and still in his mind. The fight had burned through the horned god’s pain, leaving him compliant and mute and no longer in agony at the moment. The marvelousness of the situation was lost to him, he was too tired and spent from the back-to-back fighting to really care.

“You ready to call it quits?” Skull asked.

“Even if I wanted to, I just don’t have the strength… I’ve had enough,” Akechi responded meekly. He was so tired, in more ways than one. “…you’re so lucky.” He found himself muttering. “you’ve found people who genuinely care and acknowledge you… and who would never abandon you. It’s so… enviable…"

His eyes dropped to the ground. “Once Shido confesses his crime, you’ll all be heroes once again; loved and adored by everyone.” He sighed wistfully. “and, as for me, the life I currently live will be over. People will learn that my past successes were all just a charade, and what I am. I’ll be unwanted once again.”

“…So that’s what happened.” Mona mused. “You turned people psychotic, then solved the cases yourself. And you did it all by joining forces with Shido.”

He chuckled bitterly, tiredly. “It’s all as you say. In the end… I could never be special…” It was a bitter pill to swallow.

“Dude… you’re more than special,” Skull, Ryuji, pointed out.

“He’s right. It pains me to admit… but your wit and strength far exceeds ours. We only defeated you by teaming up…” Queen admitted morosely. “you’re not the only one envious of the other… your natural ability was impressive. It was frustrating, seeing how much sis trusted you…”

“…Akechi… Crow, how old were you when you started working for Shido? The shutdowns and breakdowns have been happening for a few years now.” Noir asked somberly.

“…barely 15, I’ve been cooperating with Shido for about two and a half years now. After awakening to Loki, and learning how to properly use my special ability, I did some things to catch his attention, then met him and offered to assist him by using that power.”

Noir, Haru, pressed her lips, Yusuke didn’t look much better.

“…You’ve done horrible things… and I can not bring myself to forgive you for what you did to my father, but I can sympathize with wanting your father’s approval. And, I know that Shido is just as much at fault, if not more so, considering what he did to you.” The fluffy-haired brunette said finally. “I can wholeheartedly understand wanting to get back at the adults who took from you… all of us can.”

“But, when you gained the power to fulfill that desire, you only used it for your own self-benefit.” Yusuke chastised gently.

“If you have the ability to use multiple personas, you probably have the same talents as Joker. But, because you went through life alone, the power you awakened was fueled by hate and lies…” Futaba pointed out softly, scuffing the ground awkwardly. “Even knowing that, you thought it was enough, right? I totally get that, we all do to some extent.”

“You excelled at everything over us… yet that was the one thing you lacked.” Yusuke added. “You couldn’t have known better, not when society made you think no one could want you.”

He couldn’t help but look at the bluenette, surprised. He and the artist were similar in some regards. Both had grown up not knowing their real fathers, and both had lost their mothers at a young age. But, Yusuke had been taken in and given a stable home and a parental figure, though, Madarame was quite abusive. his own life wasn't much better; abandoned by family, he was passed around from foster homes and orphanages, abused and abandoned and rejected by others for years.

“We’re gonna take Shido down. What’re you gonna do?” Ryuji asked. “I don’t think any of us would mind you joinin’ us.” He looked to Haru and Futaba for confirmation, and received tiny nods in return.

“Yeah, after all, part of this was because you want to get back at Shido, just like Joker, right?” Ann said cheerfully. “that gives us all a common goal!”

He gave them all perplexed, unbelieving looks. This, this wasn't happening. He must have sustained more damage and was knocked unconscious. This was all just a dream concocted by his psyche. At least, that’s what he wished was going on, but a swift kick from Robin proved he was still very much awake. The noble thief was having a hard time truly believing their words, but he wasn't outright rejecting it like his master. Loki… the horned god was still quiet and unmoving.

“…Are you all idiots?” Akechi asked. “after everything I’ve done to you all, after everything I tried to do… you’re all still willing to fight alongside me again?” He shook his head in disbelief, making a small noise to help drive his point. “…you all are truly beyond my comprehension.” He sighed.

Joker shared a look with his teammates, seeking approval maybe, before walking forward. The raven was prepared to once more welcome him back into their ranks. The sound of approaching footsteps have everyone freeze and look to the right. Akechi stared in mute shock as his near-perfect double approached. The uncanny resemblance between them was almost like looking in the mirror, but the small differences between them made it feel more like staring at someone’s interpretive portrait of himself.

“Akechi…?” Ryuji said dumbly.

“Another one?! Wait- is he…” Yusuke trailed off.

“That’s… Shido’s cognitive version of Akechi!” Morgana exclaimed.

Talk about pointing out the obvious, really. Wearing a blank, unreadable face, the fabricated double of his casually walked up until he was standing just over the real Akechi. Placing a hand over his face, the fake chuckled darkly for several long, tense seconds, likely amused at the sorry state he was in, before returning to blank unreadability and pulled out a pistol. The gun was casually pointed at the real Akechi’s head with ease. Damn, he didn’t have much energy left, he doubted he could put up much of a fight at this point.

He heard Ann gasp. It seemed the phantom thieves were more surprised about this sudden twist of events then he was. Was it really that surprising? While he hadn’t anticipated his own cognitive double pointing the gun, he’d expected some form of resistance from Shido. There’s no way the man wasn’t prepared for betrayal at any end.

“…I’ll deal with the rest of you later.” His double said monotonously.

Akechi sucked in a stiff breath and gave his double a hard look. Like hell. Even if he was running on fumes, and his body was in such a shambled state, he’d put up one hell of a fight, and take the cognition down with him. It wasn’t in his nature to just lay down and die.

“Captain Shido’s orders. He has no need for losers.” The cognition said, meeting his stare with blank, uncaring eyes. “Well… this just moves the plan up a little. He was going to get rid of you after the election anyway.”

“What…?!” Had, had Shido been aware of his plan? That should have been impossible- he hid his true feelings so well. Or, was he that expendable to the man, despite having played assassin from him all this time? Well, it didn’t really matter at this point, though it was vexing as hell.

“Did you truly believe you’d be spared after all the murders you undertook?” His double practically taunted, amused. “Don’t tell me… were you actually feeling good about having someone rely on you for once?” He was practically cooing all this, his face might be blank, but he was enjoying this. “Oh, by the way, the captain says it’s time you received retribution for causing the mental shutdowns.”

He felt his blood boil and Loki stirred from his stasis. Retribution? What a laugh, the only reason he killed people in the first place is because Shido wasn’t satisfied with the breakdowns and ‘coerced’ him into killing shadows. Shido and Igor both, pushing and pushing until he caved in and believed their lies that it would be fine.

“What the hell man?!” Ryuji shouted. “That bastard’s the one who put him up to it!”

His body protested, abused muscles screaming profusely as he heaved himself into a standing position, one hand pressed into his aching side. He wasn’t all that steady on his feet, not after that back to back beating, but at least he wasn't swaying about. That was a start. He wasn’t going to be able to move all that freely, though.

Akechi chuckled sarcastically. “I see…” he breathed. “I was wondering how he’d protect himself if I used my power to tear through this place. So you’re his defense. Making a puppet with my face kill me… Sounds exactly like something he’d do.”

His double nodded. “That’s right. I’ll do anything.” Hearing those words coming from his mouth burned. “but just look at yourself, you’re the true puppet here.” He really wanted to rip that tounge out of the cognition’s mouth with his bare hands.

He inhaled sharply, gut not liking that, and glared sharply at Shido’s cognition of him. How dare that bastard say those things, and using his own voice! He saw the way his double’s face shifted and contorted into something psychotic; eyes wide and gleaming, and mouth an open smile. How much of that was Shido’s interpretation, and how much of that did Shido see first-hand?

“You wanted to be acknowledged, didn’t you? To be loved, right?” The double said, grinning in some psychotic way. “You’ve been nothing but a puppet from the very beginning.”

The bastard wasn't wrong, he’d reveled in having Shido need him, had snapped up every little scrap of praise. It stung to have Shido’s puppet of him point it out. So, he’d been seen through from the start, He’d underestimated Shido in the end.

“You little…!” Ryuji snarled.

“So this… is how Shido thinks of Akechi…?” Makoto asked, horrified. “It’s… It’s too horrible!”

In all honesty, he wasn't surprised in the slightest that Shido saw him as a puppet, the man saw everyone as a tool for his own self-gain. But to see just how little he was regarded, and just how much Shido had seen of his true self… It was pathetic, he was pathetic. It also didn’t help that he’d been reduced to an elaeghted scapegoat.

“Akechi, get away from him!” Haru called. “It’ll all be fine in the end, after we change his heart. Even if he’s your father… no, because he’s your father!”

His cognitive double snarled at the thieves. “What’s all this nagging about…? Want me to take care of you first?” He snapped. As if on cue, a small group of shadows appeared, ready and waiting to attack.

“Dammit! he’s got shadows too?!” Ann cried.

“You know what? I think I’ll let someone volunteer to take his place. Who knows, it might even delay his death.” His double said, calming back down, face returning to its blank state. There was laughter in those glassy red eyes of his, the double was delighted by their suffering.

“Damn you!” Ryuji snarled.

“You guys are all about doing things for others, aren’t you?” His double taunted, face returning to the extreme. “That's just the same as me. I’m going to take the blame for our captain. I’ll die for him too.”

Oh what he wouldn't give to make that damn puppet shut the hell up. Shido was no fool, he knew he wouldn’t willingly take the fall or even die for him, not if he was already aware that his pet assassin was conspiring to take him down in the end. Loki and Robin weren’t any happier than him, sharing in his hate for Shido and growing disdain for the pupped walking around with his face while spouting bullcrap.

“This is what Shido thinks of Akechi-kun, even after making him help with the murders?!” Makoto grimaced.

“Here, I’ll give you one last chance. Shoot them.” His double said.

“… I was such a fool.” He chuckled.

Akechi knew full well that he’d be shot down If he tried to make it to the thieves, and they would meet a similar fate if any of them tried to help him. He was dead tired, and didn’t have much health left, but, he could possibly muster up the energy to resist. It wouldn’ be anything too flashy, but sticking it to the puppet, and by extension Shido, would feel damn good.

He wasn’t that stupid. Shido’s puppet of him had no intention of letting him live. The moment he shot the thieves, and perhaps got lucky enough to think their ranks, he would be killed in the end. He was just Shido’s scapegoat. Besides… he couldn’t turn his gun on the Phantom Thieves, not anymore. Even after seeing his darkest self and hearing from his own lips, all of his sins, they had still extended a hand to help.

He couldn’t bring himself to hurt his friends.

But, he could put on one hell of a show. At least, then he could put this wretched existence of his to good use in the end. Drawing his gun, he pointed it at Joker, saw the way the raven didn’t flinch. Did Jo- did Akira know it was an act? Or were his nerves just that steeled?

“Yes! That’s the you our captain wishes to see!” His double laughed.

“…Don’t misunderstand.” He replied sardonically. “Like Hell I’d actually hurt them, just disappear!”

The echo of gunfire was deafening as he squeezed the trigger, the muzzle pointed at Shido’s cognition of him. The bullet caught the puppet in his gut, causing him to double over and press a gloved hand to the wound. He took immense satisfaction watching his double drop to his knees. Not wasting any time, he shot a second round and heard the crunch of glass as the button activating the partition wall was hit.

If he joined up with the thieves, he’d only slow them down. It was with this thought in mind Akechi steeled his resolve. There was no point lamenting his sorry run in life.

“The watertight bulkhead door has closed, all personnel within the partition wall, evacuate at once.” A voice announced. Sirens screamed out, announcing that they had to hurry.

“Not so fast!”

Akechi had anticipated the solid iron partition going up, what he hadn’t planned for was Anat and Astarte to physically hold it down. Ann summoned Hecate, one of the persona’s dog heads darted towards him and wrapped it’s chain around his torso, letting it’s main body drag him back. Tossed like a doll onto the thieves’ side, Yusuke and Akira caught him. Makoto and Haru’s personas returned to their masters, letting the partition rise up and become a barrier separating them from the cognition and shadows.

“What in the-“ He coughed.

“You idiot!” Skull seethed. “Just what in the hell were you thinkin’!”

“Stupid Crow!” Oracle huffed, shoving a finger in his face. “Be lucky Noir and Queen reacted so fast! Or else that wall would have gone up and you’d be stuck there!”

“…That, was the intention,” He muttered. “Why?”

“Do you even need to ask?” Haru inquired. “We don’t abandon our friends.”

“…I really don’t get you guys.” He sighed.

“That’s fine, we’ll have plenty of time after this to get to know each other,” Ann responded cheekily, bouncing on her heels. “and this time, we’ll actually get to know one another, no more lies.”

“Agreed,” Akira seconded.

The thieves, all of them, turned to continue down the hallway to the room the treasure was located. It would mark the end of them securing an infiltration route, and the point where they could finally send the calling card. It would have to be something incredibly flashy, Shido’s lackeys had enough power that unless it caught the media’s attention, Shido would never see the actual calling card himself, and the effects wouldn’t work.

“Oh how wonderful. It’s so sweet I’m nauseous.” A voice spat.

Metal screamed as the partition wall was torn open, letting the limping cognition make his way through. His lips were curled into an ugly snarl dripping with hate and malice. Damnit, not even Akechi had expected the cognition to have that much power. But, in hindsight, this was the tool meant to stop him should he ever betray Shido and his men. Anything like that was going to have to be powerful.

“What? did you think I was just going to let you all walk away?” The cognition cackled. “Hell no- I will protect our captain!”

“If it’s a’ fight you want, then it's a fight we’ll give ya’!” Ryuji said, driving a fist into an open palm.

“Everyone, let’s take this fake down!” Akira ordered.

He was set down against a wall before Akira and Yusuke joined the other thieves. His cognitive double had been joined by the shadows from earlier, pitting the thieves against a pair of Cerberus, a king frost, a Kali, and his cognitive double. Five against eight.

The thieves were worn out from fighting him earlier, twice, but they had recovery items and hadn’t been on the receiving end of two 8 v 1 fights. He was exhausted, He didn’t have the energy to muster up a persona, he was ready to keel over and pass out at any moment, his body was sluggish and hurting, and he’d only get in the way.

But you don’t want that. You’ve finally found something to protect.

Robin’s words were a cool weight in his mind. The white persona was right, he wanted to protect the friends who’d saved him from literally himself only a few minutes ago, and were now fighting to save him. But, what could he do? He had no energy, and was helpless in this state. Like this, he’d only be a burden.

You can continue to sit back and watch, and no one will fault you for that. But, is that really what you want to do?

No, he wanted to fight, wanted to for once in his life protect something. He’d never trusted others before, but, now, there were people he felt he could trust. Now that he had tasted companionship, he no longer wanted the bitterness of being alone.

“…Even if it hurts, I need to stand back up. I’ll never forgive myself if I sit back now and only let myself be protected.” Akechi felt a fire burn within him.

Yes, my master, let us take back our future.

Mustering his remaining resolve, Akechi heaved himself up. Grasping his serrated sword, he hobbled forward, blue fire returning his outfit to Robin’s princely regalia. It felt oddly liberating being in those pale colors once more, this time with all his lies and secrets laid bare. Bringing a gloved hand to his mask, he summoned his justice persona. Robin drew back his bow, and fired a single arrow at his double.

“What the- what the hell Akechi!” He heard Ryuji shout.

“Crow, you aren’t in any condition to fight!” Morgana warned. “let us handle this!”

“No! I refuse to just sit back while all of you are fighting!” Akechi declared. “Maybe, maybe I’m nothing more than a nuisance right now, but I want, no, I need to protect the people who have finally wanted me, not the mask I wear, but the real me.”

He could feel it, a surge of strength. It felt like Robin Hood, but not quite exactly him. …It didn’t matter. With this surge of energy, he could fight and protect the others. He charged at his cognitive double, the shackle Shido bound him with. His sword ground against the Cognition’s, the two glaring at each other with burning eyes.

“Do you really think you can change? You, who’s always seeking out the love and acknowledgment you never got growing up?” His double screamed.

“Shut up!” He howled back. “I may be weak, and I know up until now I’ve been Shido’s obedient attack dog, but no more! I’ve finally found people who give a damn about me despite trying to kill them not even 10 minutes ago! I refuse to let that bastard take away my happiness without putting up a fight!”

Well put, my master!

Akechi felt unseen chains shattering as the power within him surged and swelled. It felt like that power was finally taking shape, becoming something tangible in response to his fledgling desire to protect. What was going on, where was this power coming from? Just what was happening to Robin Hood? An arrow sailed overhead to stab Shido’s puppet in the shoulder, followed by a kageon to deal massive bless damage.

You thought you had lost your true justice long ago, but that was not the case. You only buried it, waiting for someone to show you that they were more than naïve ideals. No more will you surrender to those who wish to break and lord over you.

“I am thou, and thou are I!” A vow has become a blood-oath. “Sentai Robin Hood."

The newly awoken persona drew back his bow, reading one final arrow containing the last dregs of Akechi’s strength. It sailed through the air, running through his cognitive double’s chest. It was surreal, seeing his own body fall broken and dying to the floor like that, right before his eyes. The cognition’s wine-colored eyes grew wide, face contorting into something horrified before the puppet’s body went slack, breaking down into nothingness like all the rest.

Spent, and utterly exhausted, he collapsed, letting his legs give out beneath him. He didn’t fall to the ground as anticipated, instead, Akira caught him. It was a nice kind of strange, being held by another, and trusting them. He felt safe, knowing the thieves were not going to abandon him, knowing that there were people looking out for him.

Unable to stay awake, his eyes fluttered closed. For once, it was a dreamless sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The same events, though Joker's eyes.

A strange feeling of resignation settled over his shoulders as the cleaner walked away. It was a tad jarring to have someone they’d only just finished fighting tooth and nail against meer seconds earlier talk away so easily and calmly. Joker had shared in Fox’s surprise in how easily the yakuza clan head had left, the other 4 cognitions had put up some resistance despite being beaten. Though, as Noir had pointed out, Shido likely didn’t have much of a personal relationship with him.

It wouldn’t be good in the people were to see just what lengths Shido was willing to go to get what he wanted. It would ruin his near-spotless public image after all.

With the cleaner’s defeat, that made five. They finally had all 5 letters of recommendation needed to advance to Shido’s treasure. All that was left was to open the assembly hall door and finish securing their infiltration route. That alone seemed to bolster the morale of the others. Skull was grinning ear to ear, and Oracle was so ecstatic she was practically vibrating in place.

“Well, we finally have all five.” Panther cheered. “We need to use them to get into the main assembly hall, right?”

“Yes, and I believe that will be where we find the treasure,” Noir affirmed, a small smile gracing her face. Even she, one of the calmest and resolved of their team, was glad to nearly be over with this nightmare. “We’ve explored most other places to gather the letters- there’s almost no doubt about it.”

“We’re gonna take his treasure, no matter what!” Skull said boisterously.

Joker felt his lips curl upward in a shallow smile. Skull’s excitement was always so infectious, he was practically the backbone of their morale. Even if he could be a little loose-lipped at times.

“As I’m sure you all know, the importance of this particular card is unlike any that’s come before.” Queen said firmly, her voice heavy with the stress of the point she worked to convey. “once we send it, our opponents will know that Joker, who they presumed dead, is in fact alive. We will be putting our backs to the wall.”

“If we lose, our lives will truly be over…” Fox summarised grimly.

“We can’t let that happen, can we?!” Noir said, determined.

“It won’t be an easy fight, but we’ll definitely win.” He said, staking the fires of everyone's individual resolve. He trusted them all, they would carry on through this just like all the others before. “I for one think we could all use a little payback.”

“Yes. This is not just a Phantom Thieves matter for you. It is also a personal matter.” Fox remarked thoughtfully.

“Then it’s decided.” Mona declared firmly.

“The real question is; how and where do we send the calling card?” Queen pointed out, giving voice to a question they’d all been mulling over this entire time.

“How about we make it super flashy?” Panther proposed, excited. “Our whole big plan was all for this moment, you know!”

“Actually, it must be theatrically done.” Fox pointed out. “A minor leak will only be crushed by Shido’s influence.”

“Maybe it doesn’t have to be in letter form this time.” Noir pondered.

“hehehe…” Oracle cackled, oozing a prankster’s aura from her spot standing off to the side. “It’s finally my turn to steal the spotlight!”

“…What’s the matter?” Queen asked cautiously.

“heeheehee… It’s nothing.” Their navigator replied vaguely. Whatever she had cooking on the backburner, was likely something that would defy anything they were imagining. The young girl could be downright scary when she put her mind to it.

“Well, there’s no use in thinking about it here.” Fox sighed. “let’s head back for now.”

“…Yes, but we should proceed with caution,” Queen warned.

“What? Why?” Skull asked, puzzled. “Didn’t we just deal with everything standing in our way already?”

“No, not everything.” Their tactician replied.

“What, is there an enemy we need to fight before we’re finished?!” Panther yelped, just as taken by surprise as her fellow blond teammate.

“…You’re talking about Akechi, aren’t you,” Joker said coolly. He didn’t know if anyone else had thought about it.

Queen nodded. “Yes, it is unlikely our movements in here haven’t affected the real Shido. Akechi will notice the change sooner or later, and then likely realize we haven’t dissolved like he thought we would.”

“…And, when that happens, he will undoubtedly come here to confront us.” Noir finished tensely.

“Let that pretty boy come and try!” Skull exclaimed, driving a fist into his hand. “We’ll beat him!”

Joker cringed at the blond brawler’s brashness, shifting his weight nervously at the mention of fighting Akechi. It was nothing too obvious; just a slight shift of weight from one foot to the other, but after months doing work that required a critical eye for observation and detail, the others were bound to notice. Just as the raven suspected(feared), the action did not go unnoticed. Noir gave him a consoling look, and Panther shook her head at Skull’s utter lack of tact. Mona patted his shin in understanding. He gave the not-feline a watered-down smile.

If push did come to shove, and their traitorous teammate came looking for a fight, Joker had the resolve to fight back. They had all come too far to just stand down now, there was far too much at stake. But, he really didn’t want to fight the detective if it could be avoided. A small part of him wanted to blame this reluctance on the nearly complete justice confidant he had with the other teen, but it was more than that. Akechi was always wearing a mask, he never let his guard slip long enough, even in private, to let anyone see his real face. Despite the teen’s high walls and thick sheets of ice he hid his heart behind, on a few choice occasions the mask slipped, and parts of his true self were shown.

From those few bits of vulnerability, he had seen not a monster lacking compassion, but a broken, isolated soul pushed over the edge. He didn’t know the full picture, but there was no doubt in his mind that there was something more guiding the brunette detective’s actions.

“…Let’s be prepared for anything,” He said finally. “Queen’s right, there’s a good chance either now, or after we send the calling card, Akechi will come to stop us.”

Joker ignored his teammates heavily looks and the loaded silence. He could see it in their eyes that each had something that wanted to say to him, be it comfort or firm words. All of them knew how close he’d gotten to him, and how closer still he’d tried to get. He gave them all sharp, pointed looks. There would be time to talk about this later, but not here, not in Shido’s convoluted ark of greed and vanity.

Exiting the cleaner’s room, Joker guided his team through the interior corridor of the ship. Between his own memory, the maps they had, and Oracle’s guidance, he would lead them forward to the main assembly hall.

He felt rather than saw the gun pointed at where his head was going to be, skidding to a total halt as fingers squeezed the unseen trigger. The bullet smashed into the metal ground right in front of his left foot. That might have been his head and not the cold ground, had he not stopped in time. Though the shot hadn’t been to kill, he could feel the lackluster intent in unseen eyes staring down at him.

“What the-!” Mona gasped. Just as taken aback by the poor assassination attempt as the others.

Looking up, Joker spotted familiar pristine white clothes accented with reds and golds perched up on the steel beam overhead. Akechi gracefully lept off the steel ledge he’d ‘hidden’ up on, flipping through the air as he descended before landing crouched on the ground in front of them. There was something odd, infinitely heavy, and yet impossibly light about the way their former teammate was moving.

Ignoring the piercing eyes that clung to his bold style, Akechi rose silently, wordlessly to his feet, and stepped out from the light gloom the beam’s shadow veiled him in. His movements were stiff despite appearing so casual, and there was something downright fake about the smile to greeted them with. Though his face remained carved into that princely mask the detective his behind, dark red eyes betrayed confusion.

Despite the grim situation, they’d found themselves in, Joker felt something akin to relief at seeing his would-be killer standing before them. It was obvious Akechi was caught off guard by everyone’s lack of hate, the other’s wine-colored eyes were reeling. Though the twilight pillager was not officially a part of his roster of personas, inside, he felt Arsen leer at the detective, smiling.

“Long time no see,” Akechi said casually, breaking the tense silence. The detective acted like an old acquaintance that had been absent from his life for a few days, not his would-be assassin who’d almost shot him in the head. He was clinging to whatever composure he could find.

“Akechi!” Skull seethed right beside him, snarling. The blond was the quickest of them to get angry, but also the quickest to cool off.

“I have to say, I’m very impressed that you managed to deceive me and cheat death. I commend you for pulling it off,” Akechi stated, ignoring Skull’s hostility. He acted as if he were still among friends. Joker still wished for that, wished it could be more than an act. “It seems I underestimated your abilities, but it will be the last time, I promise.”

“Unfortunately, we can’t exactly say the same about you,” Queen responded, her voice just as rigid and tense as her body. They were all ready to fight, when it came down to that. “we figured sooner or later you’d pick up on us, and come.”

Akechi hummed in response. “you know, you truly are interesting, all of you. A quiet, unassuming leader who possesses the courage and determination to take action, and a group of people so radically different from each other you’d never guess that they could work so well together.” The brunette let a low, bitter chuckle slip past his lips. “under different circumstances, we could have been such great rivals… or, dare I say it, even friends.”

It was almost painful to head how wistful Akechi sounded, so mournful about the situation they all now found themselves in. Joker held no doubt Akechi could have- would have- been a great friend had he not already aligned himself with Shido. It was a shame this is how everything ended up.

“We’re already rivals,” Joker replied confidently. “and, it’s not too late,”

Something in Akechi’s wine-red eyes recoiled, flinching away to try and help himself together. The low, full-body laughter that bubbled up, rattling his toned frame seemed like a defense response. Deflect the pain and pretend it's something else, to keep from falling apart. A reflex that had kept him held together through pain and hardship. For as much as he wanted to look away, Joker steeled his resolve and stayed firm. It would be a disservice to Akechi, and Robin Hood, if he averted his eyes from the truth now.

“I truly wish it could be…” Akechi said, lamenting, as his laughter eased up. His face pulled back into a grimace.“it’s envious, how free your heart is, it the exact opposite of my own.”

Joker pressed his lips. Somewhere early into their interactions filled with witty banter and mind games, he’d come to realize Akechi did not consider himself a free man, though it was jarring to hear him admit it out loud. Did it have to do with why he was following Shido, why he was willing to kill for a man like him? And, where was this brutal honesty coming from?

“I wonder why we couldn’t have met a few years earlier, Akira,” Akechi murmured, using his real name, his given name. It sounded, like a prayer. Like he was giving one final plea for help.

Joker felt the bond between them, the confidant of the justice arcana, raise a rank higher. That was 9. When had it gotten so high? Well… maybe, with a bit of luck, he could break those remaining chains. Joker had been able to do so with his friends, building up friendships, breaking the chains that bound them to fear as every vow he held with his fellow thieves became unbreakable blood oaths.

“Akechi…” Panther murmured mournfully, her blue eyes despondent behind that ruby-colored mask of hers. The platinum-haired girl hugged her arms closer to her body.

“… There’s no use in bringing up hypotheticals, not at this point,” Akechi said. “this is reality, and that won’t change.”

“Akechi-kun, Crow, why are you helping a man like Shido? You must have seen the full extent of his palace, the view outside! So, why? Why are you willing to kill for a man like that?” Noir demanded, digging out biting words to get an answer. She wanted, needed to know why.

Akechi’s face Froze, becoming uncanny and impossible in its stillness. The stiffness that held his face into a smile twitched. The way his mouth tried to curl into a grimace, it was like he was working around a mouth full of blood, the overwhelming taste of copper and metal making the detective want to gag.

“Help, cooperating? I’d much sooner die by sepoku than willingly assist him!” Akechi vehemently spat, avoiding the use of Shido’s name. “though, I do suppose to outsiders, it does look that way. But, I assure you, I care nothing for that human trash.”

“That statement contradicts your actions,” Fox pointed out with the sternness of a parent scolding a child. “you claim to not be helping Shido, and yet you conspire with him and even kill others for his self-gain.”

“Yeah!” Skull growled. “that sure sounds like helpin’ ‘im to me!”

Joker could practically hear the pull ‘thwak’ as something in Akechi’s eyes snapped. The detective’s body seized, each muscle in his thin body coiling up, tight, tighter, winding up so impossibly tight it was a surprise the tension hadn’t caused them to snap and buckle. Barely clinging to his self-control, Akechi shot Skull a smile bleeding with cruel intent. High, desperate laughter, insane and wild, dribbled slow, then gushed out like a torrent of rain, bleeding like a grave wound. The laughter rattled Akechi’s frame further, making his tight muscles twitch and spasm.

“The only reason I’ve offered him my assistance is to make Masayoshi Shido… my father…” Akechi spat, forcing himself to choke the words out from between gritted teeth. His fingers pressed into his biceps so hard it was impossible they weren’t leaving dark bruises in their wake. “all of this is to make him acknowledge me. And then exact my long-awaited revenge.”

Red eyes blown into deep pools stared back at the thieves with the intensity of someone quickly spiraling down into madness. Those impossibly wide and glistening eyes betrayed an inky darkness raging just beneath the surface. It was probably taking every once of restraint Akechi and his persona had combined to keep the brunette held together while standing before them.

“Shido is your father?!” Oracle squeaked.

“…That, certainly explains some things,” Fox muttered.

Was this all just a long, drawn-out case of revenge? True, revenge was a strong set of chains indeed, and Joker would be lying if he claimed to not want to get back at Shido, the man who ripped his world apart and left him in a city of strangers. From the way Akechi was left shaking and glowering at them, his pain and hate of the man ran deeper, burned longer, was even left to fester in a system that tore him apart from the ground up. So, why did he still doubt this was all just don out of a drive for vengeance? Why was something in his heart telling him to look beyond the mask of hate?

Deep in the recesses of the raven-haired trickster’s mind, his first –original- persona chuckled.

“Remember? I told you before, how my mother had been in a relationship with a good-for-nothing man? That makes me his bastard child… My very existence is nothing but a scandal!” Akechi said, voice cracking from the siding hysteria. His chest spasmed with more laughter. “Life for my mother turned into hell after having me. Abandoned by her family and ostracized by society, she eventually gave in and died. I’m nothing more than a cursed child, for her, and everyone.”

“That’s, that’s horrible!” Oracle shivered, flinching back from the bleeding display of emotions.

“…no one deserves to be treated like that,” Panther muttered darkly. Beside her, Skull nodded.

Akechi’s self-control was almost non-existent at this point. Peering into frantic red eyes, Joker could see how eroded the other teen had become. Everything his hastily used to piece himself together over the years was seconds away from giving out. The dam keeping Akechi’s long-buried emotions tucked away was groaning and protesting under the torrent threatening to break free. It was going to be a messy display of dispair when the dam finally broke.

Joker felt he needed to do something, there was no way in hell Akechi could endure his festering pain much longer. The raven took a daring, bold step towards the detective. The mask the detective was clinging to slipped, his red eyes morphing into something cold and ferocious that froze Joker in place. The intense emotions lasted a heartbeat, before being hastily buried once more.

“I resented him, you know, for my entire life, but he was already a high-ranking official by the time I found him. An unwanted kid like me could do nothing.” Something else inside snapped, letting a fresh torrent of laughter erupt that rattled Akechi’s body. “Then… a miracle happened!”

Finally, Akechi released the death-grip he had on his biceps, letting them dangle at his sides like bits of loose string. His eyes were drawn upward by something only he could see, the mask of his chipping away for a vicious smile to slash across his features uncensored.

“Thant’s when I learned of the cognitive world!”Akechi explained, voice rising in pitch. The soft leather of his gloves creaked and groaned as his hands curled into tight fists. “Someone, be it god or the devil himself, gave me this power, power and the directive to burn Shido’s empire to the ground from the inside out!”

“Oh shit!” Ryuji cursed.

An aura, thick and cloying with murderous intent, settled around the brunette. There was something in his eyes that could only be described as broken, and he was too tired to care about covering it up any longer. They all fell into defensive postures. It was inevitable at this point, both sides were going to fight, and the one with the stronger resolve would be the one to take Shido down in the end.

“Whether I wanted to or not, I marched into hell, in this eat or be eaten world, I did what I had to survive. And unlike you all, I never had to tamper with a person’s heart to get the job done.” Akechi sighed.

“Well at least we ain’t murderer's like you!” Skull shot back, baring his teeth in a snarl.

“Yes, though our action might be morally ambiguous, all we did was make our targets own up to their crims and confess their sins, giving them the push to grow as people and repent!” Noir added, supporting her teammate.

“Crow, please calm-“

“Oh Shut up!” Akechi howled, cutting off any attempt to pacify his emotions. “It doesn’t matter! My goal is finally within my grasp, and I won’t let anyone stop me! When he finally reaches the apex of power, he’ll finally acknowledge me as the reason, and I’ll reveal to him the truth!” His mouth twisted into a malicious smile. “And then, when he’s finally hit the lowest depths of despair knowing I- an utter disgrace to his career and the world- am what got him here, I will cause him to tear his own power to shreds.”

The detective glared at them, despite being hunched over and shaking, looking more like a wounded animal than a person- let alone the charismatic detective prince.

“What a warped thought… it’s almost pitiable,” Fox murmured.

“It’s almost time now, only a few scant days until the election, I refuse to let you all interfere with my plans!” Akechi seethed. “but, if I kill you all here…” It seemed less like he was talking to them, and more like he was talking to himself.

“Hmph, we refuse to die here, not for something as petty as that.” Mona retaliated. “you might talk big, but you’re really nothing more than a little kid throwing a temper tantrum!”

“Let’s see if you’ve all got the bite to back that up!” Akechi snapped back. “I’ll warn you now, don’t underestimate me if you want to survive. I am personally going to drag Shido Masayoshi down into a living hell, all crafted with his own two hands!”

“Tch, the same can be said of you, do you carry the resolve to kill all of us?” Queen challenged darkly. “you might have resolved yourself to kill actual people before, but can you muster up that resolve again?”

“Shut up!” The detective shouted. “…Joker, everyone, rest easy, and die!”

Past the anger, the insanity, the blood lust, Joker saw the pain Akechi desperately tried to hide with angry words and threats of violence. His mental-emotional wounds were festering and oozing- close to rotting. if rot hadn’t already set in. The time to prevent fighting had passed him by, probably back in Sae’s palace; back when they’d fought side-by-side. Now, the only option left was to let his wounds bleed and treat them when the brunette had tired himself out.

Akechi glowered at his resolve, his own metallic grey eyes unwavering with his determination. Akechi didn’t back down, his wrath didn’t loosen, but seeing Joker’s resolve seemed to, unnerved him. In the depths of his psyche, Arsen whispered encouragement.

“…Let’s finish this.”

“Agreed, the time for words has passed.” The detective snarled.

“You sure sound confident, but don’t go pressin’ your luck.” Skull said darkly. “we already know all your tricks from back when you were workin’ with us.”

Joker suppressed the urge to groan, stayed his hand to keep from whacking the faux blond friend in the back of the head. It was the height of irony that Skull, who bleached his hair that stunning, abnormal shade of yellow blond, was the ditzy and scatter-brained member of their team, even more so than Panther who was naturally blond. Queen and Panther both shared a sigh, Mona shook his head, Oracle snickered. Only Fox and Noir abstained from expressing disappointment.

“Joker…” Akechi cooed mockingly. “how could you be so successful while having an idiot as your partner?”

“Hun!? What the eff- quit bluffin’!” The blond snapped.

“It’s no bluff.” Queen corrected their brutish teammate. “If he truly is behind the mental shutdowns, he’s likely only shown us a fraction of his strength.”

It felt like Queen was leaving something out. Something that was a crucial detail. Oh, right. It hit Joker light a freight train as he realized Queen’s verbal error. From the way Akechi’s eyes twinkled with dark mirth, the detective had noticed it too. True, the cases of sudden mental deterioration and mind-death, those labeled as mental shutdowns, were part of it, but they were not the only incidents with metaverse-connected origins. There were also the cases of sudden aggregation and inhibition, of people entering into a psychotic state and doing outrageous things from cooking in the nude to killing others.

Akechi chuckled softly. “Oh, don’t worry, you’ll get to see my true power soon enough, as you're all dying.” He promised sadistically. “you can take that knowledge down with you to the grave.”

As he finished speaking, a pair of shadows appeared behind him, it almost seemed like the two had been summoned by Akechi’s storming emotions. One was a masked swat unit, the other a dog unit. After fighting so many shadows as they crawled their way through Shido’s twisted cruise of pride, Joker already had an idea of what to expect. He already knew what the dog would turn into, but what the humanoid would transform into, there were several different options.

“Kill them!” Akechi commanded, waving his arm.

At Akechi’s command, the shadows dissolved, breaking out of their masks and faux forms to reform into their true appearances. Just as he’d predicted, the guard dog became a Cerberus, snarling and growling, waiting to attack. Beside the white beast, Cu Chulainn stood poised, spear held mercilessly in both hands. The Celtic spearman was the last thing he’d anticipated. This was the first time they were encountering the shadow in battle. Both shadows waited eagerly for Akechi to give them the command to attack.

Standing just in front of the shadows, in the space between the two giant bodies, Akechi drew his weapon, his beam saber; the original weapon the two had decided on to be the detective’s melee weapon of choice. Joker doubted Akechi was going to fight them just yet. Call it a hunch, but he got the feeling the detective wanted to fight them alone, with his own power.

“You know, the mental shutdowns aren’t the only incidents people are talking about.” Akechi reminded them, voice honeyed with faux kindness. “there are also the breakdowns which cause people to become psychotic, resulting in accidents and scandals. Now then, how do you suppose those can be explained?”

“Guys! Be careful- something coming!” Oracle warned, her voice on edge.

Joker gripped his dagger just a smidge tighter.

“Let me show you how I did it! It’s a very special power of mine- one that none of you could ever hope to have!” Akechi cried gleefully smiling as a hand came to his crimson mask. “Persona!”

Joker racked his brain for any and every skill Robin Hood had that supported others, only to have that line of thought come to a screeching halt. The persona that emerged, a silhouette of it really, was not Robin Hood, the persona they were accustomed to seeing the detective use. Robin Hood was pristine white, bold reds and gold, and cool blues, all painted over elegant muscle and confidence as he gripped his bow with perfect posture. The silhouette before them was composed of sleek plates that ended in hard edges and sharp corners, long braids billowed out behind it like tails, a pair of arched horns curved upward from its skull. In its hand was a sleek claymore sword.

Nearly everything about it was the antithesis of Robin Hood.

Darkness oozed beneath the two shadows as the image of chains forming, then snapping played out. The darkness enveloped the two shadows, eating them up for a moment before slinking back to the ground and vanishing, leaving the two veiled in darkness, and glaring savagely at the band of thieves.

Arsen’s laughter echoed in Joker’s mind.

Akechi smiled as they stared horrified back at him. There was no way that was Robin Hood, it had to be a different persona altogether. The ramifications of that truth made Joker feel like someone had dumped ice water over him.

“What was that?!” Oracle exclaimed. “That wasn’t Robin Hood… Could it have been a different persona?”

Inside his mind, Arsen watched the dark figure intently as it manifested and then vanished when the strange power Akechi called upon took affect. Something about the new persona intrigued the winged thief.

They were well acquainted with Robin Hood's power; strong curse and bless skills along with an all hitting almighty attack and a strong physical attack. The white thief was of the justice arcana, and was always standing proudly when summoned, bow in hand, and ready for battle. It had never once occurred to any of them that there might be others with Joker’s same abilities. The powers of the wildcard.

Joker felt the distrust he had for Igor, the dark skepticism he felt whenever the velvet room’s master dodged his questions, intensify. From the way he explained it, the prison master made it sound like a rare, mystical ability; there was no way Igor wasn’t aware of the other's power. He was the one who passed out the metanav, no persona user was outside of his awareness.

He would need to have a long, long chat with the velvet room’s master after this.

Akechi smiled. “Even the feeblest existence can gain tremendous power once the chains on its heart are broken.” He explained. “It would do you some good to not underestimate these two. Good luck.”

Joker grit his teeth as Akechi jumped backward to the sideline. With the detective out of the way, the shadows wasted no time in attacking.

“What did Akechi do?!” Oracle muttered. “The enemies are way stronger!”

Cerberus was the standard hound enemy in Shido’s palace; he and the thieves had fought the white hell guardian enough times to know it’s weaknesses down pat. Cu Chulainn was trickier. Out of all the shadows they had faced while hunting out the five letters of recommendation, not once had they ever run into the Celtic spearman among the hoards of shadows. It wasn’t the first time they’d had to go in blind, and, maybe they’d get lucky and Oracle could scan the damn thing.

There was also that strange power Akechi had used. From the way the shadows moved, and the way their stats shifted, it had inflicted desperation on them.

“Skull, Queen, you know what to do!” He commanded. The blond and brunette nodding as they summoned their personas.

The first thing they needed to do was cast the requisite buffs and debuffs. Powering up their attack, defense, and agility, Joker didn’t bother having someone debuff the enemy past lowering their accuracy. He knew well from past experience (Sae’s shadow) that while desperation was on, not only was the foe’s attack multiplied to the max, but that attack power could not be lowered. The saving grace was that defense was lowered to the max as well.

With everyone appropriately prepared, next came the trial and error of throwing everything they had and seeing what stuck. Cerberus was ‘easy’, the white beast drained fire, but was weak to ice (like all fire oriented shadows were). Having not battled its partner, all they could do was lob attacks at Cu Chulainn and see what worked. Fox did most of the damage dealt with Cerberus, as he was the only other of their team besides Joker himself to have ice attacks on hand. After using a mabufudyn to test Chulainn’s weakness to the element, the artist focused almost exclusively on the white guard beast.

Their bluenette artist had to exercise caution, however, as the white beast had access to some heavy-hitting fire spells, the bluenette’s weakness. Teaming up with Panther, who’s Hecate drained fire, they were able to minimize damage taken.

Cu Chulainn was not so easy a fight. Having a few heavy-hitting physical attacks, and some equally as powerful wind spells, the spear-wielding shadows put up a decent fight. Lobbing spells of various elements at the shadow, they were able to learn a few things; Cu Chulainn had no elemental weaknesses, and thankfully didn’t resist their physical or gun attacks, the only magic he had any form of resistance to was the ability to drain electricity. Skull was more of a brawler, with a wide variety of physical skills to choose from, and Joker had several different personas to choose from. They were the only ones who might have been negatively affected by this.

All that was left was to chip away at its health until it keeled over and died.

Noir ended up taking a few heavy blows that nearly knocked her out, but endured them with grit and strength, both Mona and Queen were always quick to patch her up with a dia skill. Skull and Fox tanked his well, acting as a physical barrier for the more fragile, less resilient members of their team (when Fox wasn’t outright dodging attacks). Joker primarily used a persona that nullified physical attacks, leaving him perfectly guarded and unharmed.

The battle, thankfully, didn’t drag on. With a weakness to exploit, Fox and Panther had Cerberus beaten and reduced to ash quickly. With their opponent beaten, they quickly rejoined with the main party; jumping into the fray with no hesitation. Absorbed in the fight at hand, Joker didn’t have many chances to look away, but when he did, the raven noticed that Akechi’s eyes seemed far away, as if lost in thought.

Panther’s whip cracked through the air as it came down hard and curled around Cu Chulainn’s spear and pulled. It’s gripped on the spear tightened as the two engaged in a slight struggle over the weapon. Taking advantage of the opening, Queen unleased an unforgiving freidyn. Mona and Skull chipped away at more health with a garudyn and megaton raid respectively. Following their lead, Joker finished the shadow with Seth’s bless attack.

Eyeing the spot the two shadows had fallen, Akechi stepped back out from the sidelines, taking his place front and center. The detective’s eyes seemed both reluctant and determined at the same time; a paradox of emotions that weighed him down as he entered the conflict.

“That power to make others turn psychotic… He used that on actual people?” Oracle grimaced. “This Guy’s out of his mind…!”

“Well done, I wouldn’t have expected anything less from you all. I would have been sorely disappointed if you’d all lost. After all,” Akechi scoffed, lips curled into some cross between a smile and a sneer as he stared them all down. “I wouldn’t give up the chance to massacre you all with my own two hands!”

“He’s coming, brace yourselves!” Oracle warned.

Panther’s whip cracked through the air before crashing down Akechi’s right arm, the brunette hissing at the contact, Noir followed up with a one-shot kill that clipped his shoulder. Neither attack did much, but it had to hurt all the same. Mona went next, lashing at Akechi with a garudyn that whipped at his white-clad form.

Undeterred by the damage, Akechi snarled and called upon Robin Hood, the white thief appeared in a burst of blue fire with an arrow nocked and drawn back. The white persona seemed oddly reluctant, or, it appeared that way to Joker. Fox charged at Akechi, hoping to stall the attack. The soft blue glow of Akechi’s beam saber glistened off of Fox’s katana as the two weapons clashed. Robin Hood, undeterred by the bluentte’s charge, let go of the arrow as it became a magic attack. The kougon attack hit Joker on the left side of his ribcage. It didn’t do too much damage, but the area was smarting, drawing a hiss from the raven.

Akechi continued with an eigaon that hit Skull square in his chest. The blond tanked the hit okay, but he was almost knocked over by the attack. Panther quickly took the incentive to heal them both, easing the pain.

Under normal circumstances, this would have been a long, drawn-out fight with everyone lobbing Akechi with everything they had to see what worked and what didn’t. But, because the brunette had once fought along side them, Joker already knew Robin Hood’s, and by extension Akechi’s, weakness. An eigaon of his own struck Akechi in the back, he watched as the brunette bit down hard on his lips, drawing blood as he stifled a scream. Struggling to stay standing, he endured a harsh freidyn from Queen and narrowly avoided a physical attack from Fox. An agidyn from Panther, another garudyn courtesy of Mona, Queen squeezing in a second freidyn.

Slowly, but surely, the damage they were doing to him was eating away at his health, leaving Akechi more and more haggard. Inversely, the detective managed to almost knocking Noir unconscious with a bless attack, managed to cut away at a decent amount of Fox’s and Mona’s health as well, and do them all a hefty blow with his almighty attack.

“Ngh… Damn…!” Akechi gasped as he endured another blow from Skull. The brunette was struggling to stand, breath coming in and out in short, puffy gasps.

Joker had the white-clad teen down to the wire with a curse attack. A small chuckle escaped Akechi as he glared him down. “So… neither of us was showing our true strength, hm?” The brunette panted, breathing ragged and uneven. “but… don’t underestimate me!” He howled.

To counter Trumpeter’s debilitate, and what other debuffs the others had managed to get on him, Robin Hood cast mind to charge. The brunette wasn’t going to be able to tank much more damage, but he wasn't about to give in. Joker desperately wanted to stop him, to scream at Akechi to just stand down already, but it would be a waste of breath. Akechi was just too damn stubborn. They both were.

Akechi managed to hit them all with a few consecutive megidolans, hacking away at their collective health before his strength gave out. Not even grit and determination could keep him going. It was a 7 (8 counting Oracle) against 1 fight, the odds just weren’t in his favor. Eventually, the brunette detective’s body gave out, leaving him shaking and kneeling on the icy ground.

“Damn it, damn it, damn it!” Akechi hissed. Hunched over on the icy ground, shaking and kneeling.

“So he’s able to turn people psychotic,” Mona noted. “I thought it might have been a tool like the nav, but it seems to just be his own persona’s power,”

“I just can’t believe it, the ability to drive others made was born from within his own heart?” Queen murmured. “I can’t even imagine what he must have endured in the past to give rise to such a power.”

Out of all of them, Joker knew the most about the detective’s warped past- the bits and pieces he let slip in moments of vulnerability. Akechi had lost his mom at a young age, and was bounced around like an unwanted puppy after that. It couldn’t have been an easy childhood. Joker’s own parents weren't the best, but both had been present in his entire life. It was a low standard, but considering the parenting some of his other friends had, it was better than nothing.

Grunting and hissing as he managed to get his feet back beneath himself, Akechi heaved himself up onto his feet. “I’ll kill you all… You’ll all die…!”Akechi heaved, failing to stand as he toppled forward, hands barely catching him. Growling out of frustration, the detective pounded a fist against the ground.

“Will you just stop this already?! You’re fighting the wrong people!” Panther pleaded, trying to reason with the fallen detective. “We both hate the same guy! Why do we have to fight each other like this?!”

“…Killing us won’t make you happy, you know” Queen added.

“But- I… I…!” Akechi gasped out, looking despairingly at them all. In his crimson eyes, a small part of the detective wanted to listen, to believe them.

“I know Shido, and a lot of other shitty adults, hurt you in ways you can never forgive, but you’re more than your trama! You’re your own person- you gotta remember that!” Skull barked. Both he and Fox had experience being abused by the father figures in their lives, knew what it’s like to endure pain from someone who was supposed to be family, supposed to be a protector.

“Skull is right, you might not have had any options in the past, but you aren’t alone now!” Joker said, a desperate note to his voice as he tried to break through Akechi’s hesitance.

“You know… sometimes I think about that fake medjed that you guys made up…” Oracle pipped in. “That was the worst trap… but, if not for that, I don’t think I’d be here right now.

“Uhh, basically-“ The orange-haired girl scrambled for a point to make. “it doesn’t matter where you start over!”

“How ineloquently put!” Fox scoffed. “The start-“ Oracle hurriedly slapped a hand over the bluenette to keep him from ruining her point.

“And… you don’t really hate Joker, do you? Or want to kill any of us.” Mona pointed out, voice careful and gentle. “in our fight, you were holding back without intending to, weren’t you. Even if it was to deceive us, a part of you genuinely saw us all as comrades… as teammates.”

Akechi froze, body going rigid as something Mona said set him off. His gloved fingertips dug into the palms of his hands. The coiling tension returned full force to the detective’s body, thin frame threatening to shake from the sheer pressure of it once again.

“Follow your true feelings!” Mona pleaded. “even if you think people hate you or that they don’t want you around, that’s-“

“Shut up, shut up, shut up!” Akechi screamed, fists pounding against the ground. Once more taking on the feel of a wounded animal. “Teammates?! Friends?! To hell with that!” he snapped. “Don’t act like you- any of you- know what it’s like to be abandoned over and over again! Why? Why am I inferior to you?! I was extremely particular about my life, my grades, my public image- anything I could control! All so someone, anyone, would want me around-

“I am an ace detective… a celebrity! Don’t act like you, people who've been accepted by others for who you truly are, know what it’s like to tear yourself apart to get others to give a damn about a mask!”

“Akechi-kun…” Noir murmured sadly.

“How, how, how! How can some quiet, unassuming… piece of trash be more special than me?! How can you have everything I’ve been denied without even trying? How, how, how?!”

“Crow! You need to stop!” Joker ordered.

Akechi snarled like an animal and glared at Joker. Something seemed to give, as if the dam holding back the torrent surge of emotions had finally broken, leaving the detective at the mercy of his years of pain and festering despair.

“Just. Shut. Up!” Akechi screeched. His white clothes wavered, flashing out of existence for a moment, replaced by a dark, unfamiliar uniform and a… a black mask. Crap.

“What was that…?!” Queen balked tensely, face going pale.

“A black mask-?!” Fox gasped.

“Then, what Kaneshiro said before,” Mona muttered.

It had been Madarame who informed them of a black-masked individual roaming the palaces. And Kaneshiro, who informed them of a person manipulating palaces and their rulers to fit some unknown agenda. It had been implied that the people spoken about by both men were the same person. That was the one piece of the puzzle they all had trouble figuring out. Akechi didn’t have a black mask; his was red.

And yet, in that instant, there was no denying the mask he had on was black; a dark pitch color, similar to Noir’s, with sharp and gleaming edges.

Was… was Akechi able to change his form? Joker was able to use multiple personas at any given time, that same as Akechi seemed to, but the back clad thief’s clothes always stayed as the charcoal vest and dark coat, not even his mask changed. If Akechi truly was a second wildcard, either he had a better grasp of their similar powers, or, there was something fundamentally different about them.

“So… You were behind the mental shutdown after all…” Queen said with a small scowl.

“It must be related to that shadowy figure he summoned!” Oracle said. “be careful guy, his power's spiking wildly!”

Akechi’s face broke out into a fractured, feral smile. Laughter, a bitter, high chuckle that devolved into heavy cackling spilled out from between his lips. Laughing and grinning like he was now, Akechi no longer seemed sane, if he even had been in the first place. His body swayed and twitched under the pressure of his hysteria and laughing fit.

“I just had a fun, fun idea!” Akechi giggled hysterically. “he’s always dragging me down, but what if I push myself over the edge? What would the depths look like?” He looked at them, eyes wild with previously unseen madness and ill intent. Whatever self-control he’d been clinging to this entire time had buckled, giving way to a deep, dark abyss that always stared back. “It’ll be really fun- I’ve never done it to myself before!”

Joker felt himself shiver. What was Akechi babbling about? Just what did that other persona, the one he called Loki, do to him?

Sparks of red crackled around Akechi’s rattling form, the air becoming thick any heavy with power as the shadows around him twisted.

“Now then, I think it’s time I showed you my real power!” He giggled, rising unsteadily to his feet. “Come to me, Loki!”

Akechi’s back bowed as he arched backward, the air around him buzzed with power. A surge of dark crimson flashed, from that dark portal, an unfamiliar persona emerged in all its dark glory. It matched the silhouette they had seen earlier. So, this was Loki, who now stood before them in its, his(?), full glory.

Loki’s body was vaguely humanoid, thinner and leaner than Robin Hood. His body appeared to be made out of metal plates, all hard edges and sharp points, painted in glaring, contrasting white and black lines. Sitting perched on the hilt of his claymore, the persona’s gold-gilded hooves glinted in the eerie light, long braids writhing behind it like snakes. Where its eyes should be, a pair of black and white ringed horns jutted up.

“Again! It’s the persona from earlier!” Fox observed.

Darkness and red clawed its way up Akechi’s form. Bending forward to hunch over, it crawled up his legs, sloshed it’s way up his sides, dribbled over his shoulders and down his arms. Crisp, spotless white gave way to dark color colors. Red and gold decorations were replaced by harsh, black iron. Slowly but surely, Robin Hood’s princely regalia was replaced by whatever Loki’s attire would end up being.

“What’s going on?!” Noir exclaimed.

“Don’t look so surprised- did you honestly think I’d shown you everything?” Akechi cackled.

The shadows and red light died down, leaving Akechi dressed in some form-fitting suit colored in left to right slashing diagonal colors of midnight dark blue and shadow black. Straps of black leather were pulled tight around the detective’s biceps and thighs, like they were parts of restrains meant to contain and imprison him.

“Justice? Righteous? I abandoned those ideals so long ago! The system broke me down, there was no longer a need for naivety when I could no longer look at the world through innocent eyes.” Akechi howled, grinning as the sharp tips of violet gauntlets glided harmlessly over his face.

This new regalia was some foreign design; taking aspects of a knights armor to accent a prisoner’s clothes. Early on, when he explained how the metaverse worked, Mona had said that their outfits were shaped by how they perceived rebellion. Was this how Akechi saw as true rebellion? If so, what his princely attire all lies and fabrication?

“He can use two separate powers…?!” Mona exclaimed. “Then, everything… even his appearance was a fake!”

“Hehehe, it’ll be soo much fun, Loki’s been clawing at my mind for a while now- he really wants to fight!” Akechi’s voice cracked, jittery, and vibrating. “I promise to make it quick, but I really will kill you all! I’ll drag you down with me if I have to!”

With a vicious cry, the crimson glow flared up as call of chaos was activated once more, accompanied by the faint outlines of chains snapped. Crap.

“No way!” Panther cried.

“That bastard!” Skull growled. “He made himself go psychotic!”

A fresh flow of laughter bled from Akechi’s lips as Loki vanished, and his mask reappeared on Akechi’s face. It was a black steel helm of some kind, the edges jagged and vicious, points jutting out like teeth, and a point like a beak. It looked like some demonic bird’s face, two long pieces almost like horns curling over the crown of his skull.

“Now, wouldn’t it be funny if you watched each other drop dead like flies?” The detective giggled. “How many before you all give up? Two, five, seven? I can’t wait to see exactly when crushing despair snuff you all out!”

“Damnit, he’s lost it!” Mona cursed. “Here comes!”

“He might have made himself go psychotic, but that doesn’t change the fact he’s still wounded from earlier, he can’t take much more!” Joker said, rallying his companions as they readied their weapons.

“Now die!” Akechi screeched. “I’ll kill you all! Crush and destroy you until none of you are left to get in my way!”

“His new persona’s power is unknown…” Oracle murmured. “everyone, stay on guard!”

Despite having made himself go psychotic, Akechi didn’t activate desperation as his first move, instead, he had Loki cast a tetrakarn, protecting himself from physical attacks. This left the more physically oriented thieves at a disadvantage; their spells were not their strong suit, and thus would do less damage. And, it wasn’t as though Akechi had the same limitations on himself.

Gripping tight to the hilt of his serrated sword, Akechi glared at Joker and snarled. He targeted Queen with a vorpal blade, shoving her out of the way before charging at him. Joker changed into a persona that negated physical attacks before darting forward to meet Akechi head-on.

Come, Loki of the fool, let us see which is stronger!

Arsen was buzzing with anticipation, the fool eager to fight one of his own, persona against persona. Joker trusted Arsen, and if his persona said the other was of the fool arcana, then he’d believe his other self. That meant Akechi was undoubtedly a wildcard of some kind. Igor had informed his early on, that only a wildcard could wield personas of that arcana. The fool’s number was 0, the beginning, and the one with infinite potential.

Loki used a move, negative pile. Joker hadn’t seen any shadow use that physical attack before, and so far none of his personas could learn it. Was it a special move unique to Loki? Did Robin Hood have such powers? And, were Loki and Robin Hood the only Personas Akechi had? These questions buzzed around in Joker’s mind.

After a few rounds of exchanging blows back and forth, it became obvious that Akechi was targeting him primarily. The detective would attack the others only to clear them out of his way in favor of zeroing in on his former leader, often losing track of the other thieves in the process. So far, he was using physical attacks almost exclusively, occasionally recasting tetrakarn.

The barrier spell protected him from the thieves' physical attacks, but Akechi’s own did not come without a hefty cost to his stamina. Even if spells coming from those like Skull were weaker than those from Panther, they still chipped away at his health. Between both fronts, Akechi’s health was slowly, but surely, being chipped and widdled away at. On top of that, Akechi’s own physical skills had to come with their own health cost.

“You’re all… just… pieces of shit… who lick each other’s wounds…!” Akechi rasped, chest heaving.

Joker estimated that the brunette was down to about half health. Maybe, if they got lucky, he’d start feeling the effect of their previous fight and wearing himself down even more. Instead of casting a tetrakarn, Akechi instead had Loki cast makarakarn, a magic barrier. He quickly follows that with a maragidyn, forcing everyone to jump back, giving the detective room to breathe.

Akechi managed to maintain the distance with a few eigaons to any who dared get close just long enough to pour energy into a riveting megidolaon. Even with the debuffs cutting the detective attack, he managed to do a fair amount of damage, enough that Mona, Panther, and Queen all had to team up and heal them before regrouping to attack.

Between maragidyn and maeigaon, as well as megidolan, Akechi managed to maintain a fair distance between himself and the thieves, but the damage was still pilling up. And, unlike the thieves who had three people capable of healing them, Akechi was alone and unable to heal himself. Eventually, he was left with only a sliver of his health. Shaking and gasping for air, it seemed like he was starting to calm down from his psychotic state.

“Why are… you all… looking at me like that?!” He choked out in between gasps for air, Queen had punched him in the stomach enough times breathing had to be uncomfortable. “I’ve- I’ve succeeded until… now just fine… all by myself…!

“I don’t need… teammates… I don’t…”

Murderous red eyes fell upon Joker, cold, and determined. Grinning, Akechi used an unknown almighty attack by the name of laevateinn. The attack hit him head-on, and might have knocked him out if not for a debuff to the detective’s attack and a buff to his own defense. He tanked the hit and remained standing with relative ease, much to Akechi’s chagrin.

Howling in frustration, the detective gripped his sword in both hands and charged, a burst of fire scattering the thieves who tried to intercept him.

Metal screeched against metal as the sharp teeth of Akechi’s weapon skittered against the metal of Joker’s dagger. The pair were in a deadlock.

Forcing the detective back, he and Skull managed to tag team their fore with a twin megaton raid, eating up Akechi’s remaining health and stamina. The detective groaned at the damage sustained from two all-out battles finally caught up with his muddled brain. Spent, exhausted and beaten, Akechi collapsed onto the ground with a dull ‘thud’, gasping for what must have been much-needed air. After a few minutes spent laying sprawled out on the ground, Akechi eventually heaved himself up into a crouch with shaking arms.

“You ready to call it quits?” Skull asked.

“Even if I wanted to, I just don’t have the strength… I’ve had enough,” Akechi responded meekly, beaten. “…you’re so lucky.” The detective muttered. “you’ve found people who genuinely care and acknowledge you… and who would never abandon you. It’s so… enviable…"

It was painful to hear the usually confident and assertive detective prince sound so broken and meek. Joker once more felt the urge to go comfort the detective. There was a weariness, an exhaustion in his voice that sounded as though it ran far, far deeper than just this fight. Worn down by countless burdens and pain, the detective just didn’t have the strength to retaliate.

Akechi’s eyes dropped to the ground. “Once Shido confesses his crime, you’ll all be heroes once again; loved and adored by everyone.” He sighed wistfully. “and, as for me, the life I currently live will be over. People will learn that my past successes were all just a charade, and what I am. I’ll be unwanted once again.”

“…So that’s what happened.” Mona mused. “You turned people psychotic, then solved the cases yourself. And you did it all by joining forces with Shido.”

Akechi chuckled bitterly, tiredly. “It’s all as you say. In the end… I could never be special…”

“Dude… you’re more than special,” Skull pointed out.

Akechi eyed the bleach blond male with something like surprise.

“He’s right. It pains me to admit… but your wit and strength far exceeds ours. We only defeated you by teaming up…” Queen admitted morosely. “you’re not the only one envious of the other… your natural ability was impressive. It was frustrating, seeing how much sis trusted you…”

"…Akechi… Crow, how old were you when you started working for Shido? The shutdowns and breakdowns have been happening for a few years now.” Noir asked.

“…barely 15, I’ve been cooperating with Shido for about two and a half years now. After awakening to Loki, and learning how to properly use my special ability, I did some things to catch his attention, then met him and offered to assist him by using that power.” The beaten detective answered with a sigh.

15, that was how old Oracle was now. If he remembered correctly, the detective’s birthday was in June, which would have left him still in middle school when it all started. Shido had been making him kill others for that long, taking advantage of him for years. Has demanded a minor do such horrible things. Noir pressed her lips together, Fox stared at his feet. Even Oracle had to look away.

“…You’ve done horrible things… and I can not bring myself to forgive you for what you did to my father, but I can sympathize with wanting your father’s approval. And, I know that Shido is just as much at fault, if not more so, considering what he did to you.” Noir said finally. “I can wholeheartedly understand wanting to get back at the adults who took from you… all of us can.”

“But, when you gained the power to fulfill that desire, you only used it for your own self-benefit.” Fox chastised gently.

“If you have the ability to use multiple personas, you probably have the same talents as Joker. But, because you went through life alone, the power you awakened was fueled by hate and lies…” Oracle pointed out softly, scuffing the ground awkwardly. “Even knowing that, you thought it was enough, right? I totally get that, we all do to some extent.”

“You excelled at everything over us… yet that was the one thing you lacked.” Fox added. “You couldn’t have known better, not when society made you think no one could want you.”

Akechi, Fox, and even Noir. The three were similar in many ways, thinking about it. All of them lost their mothers at young ages, growing up in broken and oppressive homes. Fox and Noir had a father or parental figure who cared for them, provided stable homes and basic necessities, and wasn’t outright in their abuse.

Akechi had been abandoned by family and left adrift in the foster care system after his mother’s death. That had resulted in a childhood of being passed around from foster homes and orphanages, abused and abandoned, and rejected by others for years.

“We’re gonna take Shido down. What’re you gonna do?” Skull asked. “I don’t think any of us would mind you joinin’ us.” He looked to Noir and Oracle for confirmation, and received tiny nods in return.

“Yeah, after all, part of this was because you want to get back at Shudo, just like Joker, right?” Panther said cheerfully. “that gives us all a common goal!”

Akechi stared at them all, perplexed and disbelieving. For someone who likely didn’t know how to trust others properly, it must be hard for him to understand. But, Joker was confident, certain even, that they could all help the detective learn to trust. They all, in one form or another, could understand his struggles.

Inside, Arsen smiled, awaiting the chance they could both go to their comrade's side and help him up.

“…Are you all idiots?” Akechi asked. “after everything I’ve done to you all, after everything I tried to do… you’re all still willing to fight alongside me again?” He shook his head in disbelief, making a small noise to help drive his point. “…you all are truly beyond my comprehension.” He sighed.

Joker looked to his teammate, meeting eyes will all of them. He wanted to make sure it was fine with them before he went and made it official. All of them, each one, in turn, gave their consent. Nodding, he began walking forward to whether their former teammate, their new teammate, was kneeling. The sound of approaching footsteps made him pause, eyes darting to the right, where the noise was coming from.

Everyone stared in mute shock as a second Akechi, dressed in the pea coat and black dress pants he normally wore in public, drew near. It was obvious the second was Shido’s cognitive interpretation.

“Akechi…?” Skull said dumbly.

“Another one?! Wait- is he…” Fox trailed off.

“That’s… Shido’s cognitive version of Akechi!” Mona exclaimed.

The cognition’s face was eerily calm as he approached the real Akechi. His face remained icy blank, empty eyes leering down as the Akechi collapsed on the floor. Placing a hand on his face, the cognition chuckled darkly and pulled out a gun. Letting his hand drop back to his side, the cognition pointed the muzzle of the gun at his double’s head.

Panther gasped, her surprise shared by everyone. No one had anticipated a cognitive Akechi to show up. It hadn’t occurred to them that such a thing might happen, even if it was obvious now.

“… I’ll deal with the rest of you later.” The cognition said monotonously.

Akechi sucked in a breath and stared up at his double, eyes burning with defiance. Though in his beaten and weakened state, the detective didn’t appear as much of a threat, the cognition simply scoffed.

“Captain Shido’s orders. He has no need for losers.” The cognition said, meeting Akechi’s stare with blank, uncaring eyes. “Well… this just moves the plan up a little. He was going to get rid of you after the election anyway.”

“What…?!” Akechi coughed.

“Did you truly believe you’d be spared after all the murders you undertook?” The false Akechi asked, voice laced with amusement not present on his face. “Don’t tell me… were you actually feeling good about having someone rely on you for once?” The cognitive double was practically cooing. Joker started to feel a growing whiplash from the disconnect of emotion on the cognition’s face versus his voice. “Oh, by the way, the captain says it’s time you received retribution for causing the mental shutdowns.”

“What the hell man?!” Skull shouted. “That bastard’s the one who put him up to it!”

So, Shido had known Akechi intended to betray him in the end. There was even a good chance he’d known about it all the way back when he started using Akechi as his personal hitman. Or was this all just coincidence? Shido did genuinely seem like a man who threw away pawns when they were no longer useful.

Despite whatever pain and exhaustion he was feeling, Akechi managed to heave himself up onto his feet. The detective’s legs were unsteady and he was still panting out every breath. One of his hands was even pressed into his side. There was no way Akechi could fight a third time, he was barely standing as it was.

Akechi chuckled morosely. “I see…” he breathed. “I was wondering how he’d protect himself if I used my power to tear through this place. So you’re his defense. Making a puppet with my face kill me… Sounds exactly like something he’d do.”

Cognitive Akechi nodded. “That’s right. I’ll do anything.” He said far too enthusiastically. “but just look at yourself, you’re the true puppet here.”

Joker felt the urge to march over and clock the puppet in its face. He saw the way the real Akechi glowered at the cognition, seething over hearing those words in his own voice. Shido truly was a twisted bastard.

“You wanted to be acknowledged, didn’t you? To be loved, right?” The double said, grinning in some psychotic way. “You’ve been nothing but a puppet from the very beginning.”

“You little…!” Skull snarled.

“So this… is how Shido thinks of Akechi…?” Queen asked, horrified. “It’s… It’s too horrible!”

“Akechi, get away from him!” Noir called. “It’ll all be fine in the end, after we change his heart. Even if he’s your father… no, because he’s your father!”

The cognitive Akechi snarled at them, face contorting into an ugly mix of a sneer and scowl, lips pulled back to expose white teeth. “What’s all this nagging about…? Want me to take care of you first?” He snapped. As if on cue, a small group of shadows appeared, ready and waiting to attack.

“Damnit! He’s got shadows too?!” Panther cried.

“You know what? I think I’ll let someone volunteer to take his place. Who knows, it might even delay his death.” Akechi’s double said, calming back down, face returning to its blank state.

“Damn you!” Skull snarled.

“You guys are all about doing things for others, aren’t you?” Shido’s cognition taunted, face contorting into something gleefully sadistic. “That just the same as me. I’m going to take the blame for our captain. I’ll die for him too.”

“This is what Shido thinks of Akechi-kun, even after making him help with the murders?!” Queen gasped.

“Here, I’ll give you one last chance. Shoot them.” The double said.

“… I was such a fool.” Akechi chuckled.

This was just about the worst situation they could have found themselves in. If any of the phantom thieves tried to make a break for Akechi, they would be gunned down instantly. The same outcome applies if Akechi tried to get to them. On top of that, Akechi was exhausted from back to back brawling, even if he tried using call of chaos a second time, there was no way the detective could muster up enough energy to break away.

The only option Joker could think of was summoning a persona and hoping he was fast enough. The raven was in the middle of mulling over the speeds of his various persona when Akechi pulled out his gun and pointed it at him. He didn’t flinch, didn’t look away from the morose look on Akechi’s face. There was no way the detective was going to try and shoot him or any of them. Not after all this, not after they finally managed to get through to him.

“Yes! That’s the you our captain wishes to see!” The cognition laughed.

“…Don’t misunderstand,” Akechi replied sardonically. “Like Hell I’d actually hurt them, just disappear!”

The sound of gunfire echoed loudly off the iron walls and floor, ringing loudly in Joker’s ears as Akechi turn the gun onto his cognition and pull the trigger. The bullet hit the twisted puppet in its side, digging into its gut. Shido’s cognition of the detective screamed as a dark gloved hand pressed into its side, doubling over in pain. Pausing for only a moment, Akechi pointed the gun once more in his direction and fired. The bullet whizzed past the side of his head, followed by the crunching of glass behind him. Peering over his shoulder, he saw the glass-covered button Akechi had aimed for, and hit. Joker’s eyes went wide in realization.

“The watertight bulkhead door has closed, all personnel within the partition wall, evacuate at once.” A voice announced. Sirens screamed out, announcing that they had to hurry.

Joker felt dread as the synthetic voice cried out it's warning. No. No! He had to do something, or else Akechi would be trapped!

“Not so fast!” He heard Oracle shout. Followed by several voicing muttering “persona!” as their masks broke.

Anat and Astarte raced over to where the partition wall was starting to rise and forced it to stay in place. While those two personas struggled with the hefty slab of iron, Panther called forth Hecate. One of the persona’s dog heads’ darted over to where the detective was and wrapped its chain around his torso. Hecate pulled back n the chain, dragging the detective over the stalled partition like a doll.

Breaking out of his panicked stupor, Joker along with Fox manged to catch Akechi before the detective could hit the floor. The moment the brunette was in the clear, Noir and Queen’s personas vanished, letting the solid, airtight wall of steel rise up, separating them from the shadows. Joker’s shoulder slumped in relief. That was too close a call.

“What in the-“ Akechi coughed.

“You idiot!” Skull seethed. “Just what in the hell were you thinkin’!”

“Stupid Crow!” Oracle huffed, shoving a finger in his face. “Be lucky Noir and Queen reacted so fast! Or else that wall would have gone up and you’d be stuck there!”

“…That, was the intention,” The detective muttered. “Why?”

“Do you even need to ask?” Noir inquired, as if the answer were obvious. “We don’t abandon our friends.”

“…I really don’t get you guys.” The detective sighed.

“That’s fine, we’ll have plenty of time after this to get to know each other,” Panther responded cheekily, bouncing on her heels. “and this time, we’ll actually get to know one another, no more lies.”

“Agreed,” He seconded.

Both he and Fox slung one of Akechi’s, one of Crow’s, arms around their shoulders, helping support the detective as he stood back up. Just down the corridor was the main assembly hall, and after they got the door open, they could finish securing the infiltration route. Today was the 15, so it would be alright if they waited until the day after to compose the calling card, giving everyone a much needed day of rest.

He trusted that whatever Oracle had cooked up would be more than flashy enough to get even Shido’s attention. It was going to have to be something big, Shido’s men could easily crush their efforts and keep the bald bastard from seeing it otherwise. And unless he knew his treasure was in danger, it would never manifest.

“Oh how wonderful. It’s so sweet I’m nauseous.” A voice spat.

Mental screamed as the partition wall was torn open, letting the limping cognition make his way through. His lips were curled into an ugly snarl dripping with hate and malice. Damnit, Joker hadn’t expected the cognition to have the power to rip through solid steel. He was hoping to avoid a fight. It seemed Shido’s puppet had other ideas.

“What? did you think I was just going to let you all walk away?” The cognition cackled. “Hell no- I will protect our captain!”

“If it’s a’ fight you want, then it a fight we’ll give ya’!” Skull said, driving a fist into an open palm.

“Everyone, let’s take this fake down!” He commanded.

Fox and Joker hurried over to the wall and quickly set Crow on the floor before quickly rejoining the others in the fight against the cognitive Akechi and his little battalion of shadows. Hopefully, Crow’s spot was far enough away from the fight, if they’d had more time they would have moved his farther away. Racing back to the others, he saw that the shadows had already transformed into a pair of Cerberus, a King Frost, and a Kali. Not the worst Shido and his cognition could have thrown at them.

After fighting Akechi twice, everyone was more than a little tired. Thankfully, they had recover items to fall back on. The cognition-enhanced foodstuff gave everyone a much-needed boost to push forward. Fox ran over to go deal with the Cerberus pair. Skull cackled as he brought his staff down hard on one of the white beast’s heads. The bluenette followed up with a mabufudyn, stunning both foes.

Panther gave the King Forst a taste of her agidyn, narrowly avoiding one of the ice demon’s own bufudyn’s. Joker himself narrowly avoided the bite of Kali’s twin swords. Before he could retaliate, the cognition of Akechi followed up with an attack, catching him in the shoulder. The power behind that attack nearly sent him crashing into a wall, and that was just from a parting shot. The cognition hadn’t transformed into anything, apparently, Shido had really wanted Akechi to fight his litteral self.

Maybe, if it was just the 4 shadows, they might have been able to win, but with the cognition thrown in, Joker wasn’t so sure. The only wound the cognition had was from Crow’s surprise shot, and all of its attacks were powerful. Dodging Kali once more, he tried to hit the cognition with Seth’s one-shot kill, but the cognition simply sidestepped the attack. Joker growled in frustration and lobbed the same attack and Kali. It was a critical hit.

“Joker, look out!” Oracle barked.

With his navi’s warning, he was able to dodge another attack from the cognition.

Mona, Fox, and Skull were holding out against the pair of Cerberus, Panther was doing just fine against King Frost, and while Kali was down, Queen and Noir managed to catch its attention. Leaving him on his own to try and take the cognition down. Joker gripped his dagger and readied himself to attack.

Before he could do anything, an arrow sailed over his head and buried itself in cognitive Akechi’s left shoulder before dissipating. Twisting his head, Joker saw Crow dressed in Robin Hood’s regalia stumble towards him, blade in hand. Hovering above him was Robin Hood himself.

“What the- what the hell Akechi!” Skull shouted.

“Crow, you aren’t in any condition to fight!” Mona warned. “let us handle this!”

“No! I refuse to just sit back while all of you are fighting!” Crow declared, standing firm despite his unsteady legs. “Maybe, maybe I’m nothing more than a nuisance right now, but I want, no, I need to protect the people who have finally wanted me, not the mask I wear, but the real me.”

Robin Hood was hazy as he stood behind his master firmly. The persona looked, fuzzy, at the edges, like he was becoming less defined. In response to his master’s declaration, the justice persona summoned another arrow, body becoming more and more transparent and hazy. Crow charged at his cognitive double, the serrated edge of his sword grinding, squealing against the equally toothed edge of the cognition’s own melee weapon. The two glared at each other, Crow with hot, fiery eyes, and the cognition with cool, icy ones.

“Do you really think you can change? You, who’s always seeking out the love and acknowledgment you never got growing up?” His double screamed.

“Shut up!” The detective howled back. “I may be weak, and I know up until now I’ve been Shido’s obedient attack dog, but no more! I’ve finally found people who give a damn about me despite trying to kill them not even 10 minutes ago! I refuse to let that bastard take away my happiness without putting up a fight!”

Joker felt a familiar sensation flood his mind. It was the buzz of power when one of his friends finally managed to break free of society's chains, the chains holding back their true power. Robin Hood’s form blurred further into a mess of washed-out colors as he released his arrow, following up with a kageon, both hitting home and dealing massive damage to the cognition.

Joker heard the familiar whisper of words in his ears as Robin hood began to surge back into clarity.

“I am thou, and thou are I!” A vow becomes a blood-oath. “Sentai Robin Hood.”

Sentai Robin Hood was thinner, more humanly proportioned than his previous form. The crimson bird piece on his head was now a red and white visored helmet, like from Phoenix Range. The white bodysuit was still styled so much like Robin Hood’s tunic, now with gloved that came to his elbows and boots up to his knees. The short cape was gone entirely, replaced with a gold-fringed short cloak and hood, both brushed back.

The newly awoken persona drew back his bow. It wasn't a Kageon, no, he heard Arsen whisper the attack’s name into his ear. Crow’s Grace. The bless arrack sailed through the air, running through Crow’s cognitive double’s chest. The cognition’s wine-colored eyes grew wide, face contorting into something horrified before the puppet drop to the ground, breaking down into nothingness like all the rest.

As though the attack had contained the last of his strength, Crow collapsed, his legs giving out beneath him. Before the detective could hit the ground, Joker was sprinting the short distance between them and caught the brunette. Crow gave him a weak smile before his eye fluttered closed and he fell limp.

“Crow, Crow!”

“…It’s alright, he just passed out,” Oracle informed him, cooling his fears.

“Not surprising,” Mona commented. “after fighting us twice, then awakening Robin Hood in the middle of a third fight, I’d end up dead to the world too,”

Noir chuckled at the not-feline’s choice of words, her shoulders losing some of their tension. With any fear of their comrade's condition safely put to rest, the black and white not-feline cast a diarahan to relieve the unconscious crow of his wounds. When the black cat was finished, Joker had Skull help settled Crow onto his back. The raven could have had any of the male thieves carry Crow, hell, he could have easily had Noir or Queen do it, the teen wasn’t that heavy (it felt like he might even be lighter than Oracle… concerning) and both were rather strong physically.

But, Joker knew if he didn’t have the brunette on his back, he would find himself constantly looking over at whoever was carrying him just to make sure he was still there. Looking over to make sure this isn’t just a wishful dream.

Rest now, the battle has only just begun.

“Alright, there should be nothing standing in our way at this point, let’s go see what the treasure room looks like.” He said.

Leading them up the metal staircase, the group followed the hallways down to a side entrance. The double doors lead out onto a side deck devoid of life. Good, no one had it in them for another fight. With Oracle’s guidance, they found their way back to the central passage leading up to the main assembly hall’s sealed door.

“Open Sesame!” Oracle grinned as she slid the five letters into place.

Each slot lit up as a letter was pushed into place. When all five slots were filled and glowing, the 4 doors slid open, leading over to an elevator.

“The time’s finally come.” Noir murmured.

“Yeah,” Queen agreed.

Hefting Crow up, they marched forward. Panther hit the up button to call the elevator car. Within seconds, the car slid down the shute and the doors slid open. Filing in, they found it to be somewhat of a tight squeeze, but there was enough room for everyone to fit. The ride up was short and quiet, and when the door opened again, they were at the top, filling out quickly into the lower floor of the representative’s chamber.

Everything was quiet, too an eerie degree, all the chairs empty and there was no one in sight. It was odd coming all this way to find an empty room, earlier they’d head what had to have been a full crowd. Was that all just for show? Floating over the podium in the center, the unmaterialized treasure sat, waiting until they would come for it again, this time in its full livery. Leering down at them, a large daruma with only one eye stood front and center.

“Huh?! The hell is that…?!” Skull grunted.

“It’s pretty rockin’…!” Oracle said.

“So this… is the main assembly hall?” Noir wondered.

“P-probably,” Queen replied. “darumas are often used as symbols of election luck, plus, everything else in here seems real…”

“Odd… There isn’t a single person in here.” Fox noted. “it sounded as though there was quite the crowd within when we heard voices through the door.”

“But given how it looks, this has to be the root of the distortion.” Panther pointed out.

“Yes. I’m also picking up on the Treasure’s presence as well.” Mona affirmed. “there’s no doubt this place is where it’ll appear.”

“Alright, we’ve secured our route to the treasure, all that’s left is to leave and prepare the calling card”. Joker said.

Hefting Crow back up, he gave the empty room one final look before turning back to the elevator. The next time they were here, all of them, it would be to end all of this. Once and for all. There was a lot riding on this, all of their freedom, His and Crow’s lives, the safety of the nation. Shido had to be taken down. There was no backing down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Akechi's wildcard powers are going to be somewhat different from the protagonist's own, and we'll see him steadily gather personas in the chapters to come.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To the victor goes the spoils

Dusk spilling into early nightfall had set in by the time they exited the palace, finding themselves in a familiar setting; Streets once packed with people coming and going were now empty, the pale blush of streetlamps flickering on in response to the growing darkness. Akechi was still unconscious, unmoving from his place draped over Akira’s back. The brunette was in his usual winter work/school attire comprised of a brown pea coat, white long sleeve dress shirt, and black dress slacks paired with a durable pair of stylish loafers.

“Man, it's always so weird comin’ outta’ a palace and it bein’ dark out,” Ryuji grunted thoughtlessly, rolling his shoulders to stretch them out.

“Yeah, it doesn’t matter how long we spend in the metaverse, only a few hours pass out here.” Futaba agreed quietly.

“Yes, yes, the phenomena is quite strange, but we have a more pressing issue,” Makoto reminded them, eyes darting over to the slumbering detective.

The trip back to the main deck from the treasure room had been, awkward. The others had engaged in whatever idle chatter they could think of to take their minds collectively off the newest problem at hand. The question lingered in the back of their minds; what to do with Goro Akechi? It would be child’s play to have Futaba find where the detective was currently living, even easier when they had his bugged phone on hand. The real problem was whether it was safe to return the detective home or not, especially in his current state. It was clear, after their confrontation with Shido’s cognition of the detective, that his usefulness to Shido was almost up, and that the man had every intention of using him as a scapegoat- if not killing him outright- after the elections to cover his tracks.

None of them had any intention of turning him over to the police, not until after Shido had been dealt with. When everything was said and done with, then there would be time to think about it, when everyone could be present. It wasn’t fair to Akechi to decide his fate without his own input.

“For now, I’ll take him back to Le Blanc with me, I’ll have Takemi look at him in the morning.” Akira decided. “but first, I don’t think it would be wise walking around Tokyo with him so blatantly on my back.”

That earned him a few snickers from Ryuji and Futaba, and a small chuckle from Makoto. Akechi was a well-known public figure; practically an idol with how the media treated him. Anyone who had access to a phone to TV knew his face and coat. Even with his face half-covered by a mop of brunette hair, one look at his coat would be enough of a giveaway to his identity. The last thing they needed was someone seeing him carrying the second detective prince on his back. People would ask questions, maybe even take another, closer, look at his face.

It would be bad news if the wrong person looked at his face for too long. Akira Kurusu was supposed to be dead; a fact the people of Shido’s conspiracy needed to believe until the very end.

“Hold on, I have an idea,” Ryuji said.

With some assistance from Yusuke, He and Ryuji were able to maneuver the brunette detective under his hooded jacket. As extra insurance, The blond slipped his glasses onto Akechi’s face. The hood was large enough that it stretched over both of their heads with no problem. With his jacket covering that iconic pea coat, and the glasses to throw off facial features, it made the detective virtually unrecognizable to the casual observer. It was unlikely anyone would give them a second glance on the train, and if anyone asked, his friend just wore himself out and he was being a good friend by carrying him home.

“I’ll root through his phone, see if I can’t dig up anything useful,” Futaba announced, swiping the detective’s phone.

The bug the ginger girl had cooked up and planted on Akechi’s phone was a simple something she’d cooked up overnight. All it did was let her listen in on phone calls and track his GPS. It didn’t let the hacker girl do more complicated things like read his texts or view his list of contacts. Akira doubted she’d find anything truly incriminating, between Akechi’s own paranoia and Shido’s, they’d have likely taken precaution after precaution to hide evidence. Still, that didn’t mean they couldn’t learn other kinds of useful information. At the very least, they might learn more about what kinds of people were a part of the conspiracy, and who they are.

Everyone parted ways at the station, taking different trains to get home for the night. Only Akira, Futaba, and Morgana (not counting the slumbering Akechi on his back) were going in the same direction to get home. It took them by surprise when Makoto boarded the same train, one heading to Yongen despite not living in that area.

“Sis probably won’t be home yet, and, besides, it will look less suspicious this way,” She answered sheepishly.

“Thanks, feel free to stay for coffee or something when we get back.” He replied softly.

The trains were nearly deserted this late at night, a stark contrast to how packed they were in the rush hour that came right after work. Only a few other people occupied the car with them; salary workers making their way home after working a later shift than most. Exhausted, the grim face strangers didn’t bother to give them a second look, if they even bothered to look at them at all. Eventually, Yongen-Jaya, their stop, was called. Shuffling out of the empty train car, the small group made their way through the back allies of the more suburban part of Tokyo.

The café’s sign was still flipped to ‘open’ when they arrived, but if he recalled, it was almost closing time. Taking a deep breath, Akira hefted his dead-to-the-world companion up once more and followed Futaba inside. The raven was already dreading the storm of questions his guardian was going to ask when the older man realized who he’d brought home.

Leblanc’s cozy interior and warm light greeted them, followed by the comforting aroma of fresh coffee and the mouthwatering smell of the café’s signature curry. The atmosphere of the little back-alley shop was always so peaceful and quiet, making it the perfect place to unwind and relax after a long day. Sojiro-san, aka Boss, was behind the counter whipping down a coffee cup. Seated at the bar was the familiar presence of Sae Niijima, a cup of the house blend raised to her lips.

“S-sis!” Makoto squeaked beside him.

Morgana slipped free from Akira’s back, hoping down quietly to the floor. He followed behind Futaba as the ginger-haired girl marched into the café uncaringly, heading straight for her usual spot at the bar.

“Sooojiro, I hunger!” She groaned. “Feeeed me curry!”

“Alright, alright,” Her adopted father chuckled.

“Glad to see you’re both okay,” Sae hummed, turning to face them with a small, soft smile. “So, how’d it go in there? Did you finish securing your route to the treasure?”

Her soft gaze hardened when her red eyes fell upon a familiar mop of brown hair, the shade of ground cinnamon. Having worked with Akechi for the better part of several years, there’s no way their last-minute disguise could have fooled her. Sojiro glanced over. It took the older man a few seconds to realize who it was draped over Akira’s back, and similarly stiffened when it clicked.

“…I’m going to duck up into my room for a little bit, I’ll be right back,” Akira said quickly.

Speen walking past the two adults before they could interrogate any of them, Akira waded through the tense atmosphere to dart up the attic steps to the space he was occupying as a bedroom. Depositing the unconscious detective on his bed, the raven tossed his winter blanket over the brunette’s sleeping body. He lingered a few, long seconds to ensure the other teen was properly tucked in, wasting all the time he could before having to head back downstairs. He felt Sae and Sojiro’s gazed burn into him as he rejoined them in the café, taking a seat at the bar beside Futaba and Makoto.

“So, is someone going to give me an explanation as to why he’s here?” Sojiro asked tersely.

“…He passed out in the palace, and I determined the safest place to bring him was here,” Akira replied meekly, shoulders tensed into knots.

”…Just what the hell happened anyway?” Sae asked slowly.

“Er… well, Akechi confronted us in Shido’s palace right before we were finished securing our route to the treasure.” Makoto explained nervously. “he undoubtedly noticed how unusually paranoid Shido was acting, and deduced we were the cause. Acting on that, we fought him. Twice.”

“That still doesn’t explain why you brought him here!” Sojiro growled, before sighing. “he’s Wakaba’s killer, he tried to kill Akira, are you certain he’s trustworthy after that?”

“Yes,” Akira affirmed. The raven dug in his proverbial heels as he stared up at his guardian. “back in the palace, something happened after we beat him, and he was prepared to sacrifice himself for us… besides, there’s more to this story than just him killing.”

“Like what?”

“Weeeell,” Futaba piped in. “There’s the fact he’s Shido’s bastard son, and partly blamed him for his mom’s suicide. There’s also the fact Shido made him start killing people at the age of what, 15? There’s also that other persona of his, the reading I was getting from it were pretty strange.” That last sentence was uttered as an afterthought.

“What, what?!” Sae exclaimed. Her chair squealed against the ground as she stood up suddenly. "Goro is Shido’s what now?!”

“Trust me, we were just as surprised,” Makoto replied dryly, still on edge. “and, we were horrified to see that Shido thought of Akechi as nothing more than an obedient puppet who was willing to die for him.”

“…He’s not so different from us, he’s just a kid who was used and abused by adults, and became blinded by a need for vengeance,” Akira added.

Sojiro ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “Well, I can’t argue with that,” the older man grumbled. “fine, as long as the kid doesn’t cause any trouble, I don’t see why having another one makes any difference.”

“Thank you,” Akira murmured.

“Thanks!” Futaba chirped. “Now, where’s my curry?”

Dropping back into her chair, Sae took a long, slow swig from her coffee, sighing softly before placing it back in its saucer. A single, well-manicured nail tapped itself against the old, lacquered wood of the bar for several long seconds before she looked over at them. “You mentioned earlier, how you were concerned for his safety at home, just what happened in there?” She asked.

“…Shido’s cognition of Akechi showed up and tried to kill him,” Akira answered slowly. He turned and looked at the Older Niijima sister. “Apparently, the plan was to kill him after the election, or at least have him take the fall.” His hands tightened into fists, recalling the memory of the twisted puppet that wore his comrade's face. “Shido had no qualms about killing him, and sees him as nothing more than a tool.”

There was also the lingering questions over Igor’s own involvement in all of this. That had all seen the nav’s icon on Akechi’s phone that day, the metaverse navigation app that only Igor could gift to those he deemed worthy- those with the potential for a persona. There was just no way the long-nosed man didn’t know about there being a second wildcard. How much did Igor know, and just what was his role in all of this? All of this speculation mase making his suspicion of the prison master deepen.

Sighing, Akira grabbed a lock of raven hair between two fingers and began twisting it. Tomorrow, he’d just let everyone rest and make sure he was properly stocked up for the coming fight. He’d stop by the velvet room and, hopefully, get some answers.

“I’m going to have Takemi look him over in the morning. We patched him up in the palace, but better safe than sorry,” Akira said, informing the older raven-haired man of his plans.

Sojiro hummed and shrugged. At this point, the older man just rolled with whatever strange thing happened. Sae was a bit more pensive about everything, asked more questions, and got more frustrated when everything blew over her head. But, considering her personal stakes in all this, and her more competitive nature, it made total sense.

With any luck, Akechi would be awake by tomorrow evening. Akira wanted the brunette to be a part of their plans going forward. It was only fair, they both had grievances against Shido that just couldn’t be forgiven or looked over.

Buzzing that he felt more than heard drew Akira’s attention. It was his phone. Pulling the mobile device from his pocket, he opened up the group chat.

[Haru]: We were finally able to get into the main assembly Hall.

[Ann]: That means we’re ready to send the calling card too. When should we do it?

[Yusuke]: we must consider the method by which we send it as well.

[Ryuji]: All those guys cheering for Shido better be ready.

[Ryuji]: We’re gonna surprise the shit outta them!

[Futaba]: I can’t wait for this.

[Ryuji]: BTW, where’s Makoto?

[Ryuji]: Also, how’s Akechi doin’?

[Makoto]: I’m here. And, to answer your other question, Akechi is still asleep.

[Akira]: Not sure when he’d going to wake up, but after what happened, I wouldn’t be surprised if he sleeps through most of tomorrow.

[Haru]: Right. Awakening your persona after fighting against 7 people, twice, couldn’t have been easy.

[Haru]: Though I have mixed feelings about all this… there is no denying he is a victim in all this. I truly hope we can call work together once more.  
[Ann]: Yeah… and we almost couldn’t save him…

[Yusuke]: Had I not met you all, I may have become like him as well…

[Ryuji]: Personally speaking, I don’t think I can forgive him for what he did.

[Ryuji]: But more importantly, I can’t forgive Shido for warping his mind so goddamn much!

[Makoto]: Yes, much of what Akechi did was because of Shido. What he did is reprehensible.

[Ann]: I don’t want to even imagine what it must have been like.

[Ann]: Killing for another, even against my will… that couldn’t have been easy…

[Haru]: We must do this. I’m certain we’ll all be able to pull this off.  
[Akira]: Right. It’ll be just like always.

[Futaba]: You can count on us. The decision on when to call us together for this plan is on you.

Smiling, Akira closed out of the chat and patted her on the head. Yelping out a startled yelp, the younger girl scowled and jabbed him in the ribs with her fingers in retaliation.

Dinner was a lively endeavor shared by both the Sakuras and the Niijimas over plates of hot curry. Morgana, for obvious reasons, was given tuna from a can for dinner. When things started winding down for the evening, Akira helped Sojiro collect the dirty dishes and place them in the skin to be washed later. The raven-haired teen locked the door as the Sakuras and Niijima sister took their leave for the evening, heading home for some much-deserved rest after a long day.

After scrubbing the dishes clean and setting them aside to dry, Akira marched up the steps to his room. Yawning and stretching, the raven smiled when he spotted Morgana curled up against the detective’s chest. At some point, the brunette had rolled off of his back and onto his side, curling up into a ball underneath the blanket. Akechi’s sleeping face was peaceful and calm, the near-total opposite of how he’d looked back in the bowls of Shido’s ship. He’d looked tense and ready to break.

Akira felt the temptation to snap a quick photo, a little something to marvel over, and maybe tease the detective over when he woke up. He decided against it in favor of pulling out the space heater for the night. The raven wasn’t going to even bother attempting to remove Akechi’s coat; it wasn't worth the effort, and the nights got cold enough that every layer was a blessing- even with the space heater.

Stripping out of his street clothes and changing into a set of worn pajamas (an old t-shirt and sweats), Akira grabbed his spare blanket and pillow and tossed them both onto the lumpy couch. A nice, hot bath in the bathhouse just next door (especially after running through a palace) was tempting, but that required going outside. And that was even if the place was still open this late.

Laying down to sleep, Akira wondered if Igor would be calling him to the velvet room in his dreams. It was hard to tell when the long-nosed man summoned him until he woke up in the blue prison. Well, even if he didn’t, Akira was determined to get answers.

Huddled into a corner of his cell, risked another glance over at the man seated calmly in the center of the room. It was hard to tell how much time had passed since he’d awoken in the blue room, it could have been minutes or even hours. There were no clocks, the shadows never moved and the lights never flickered. Akechi wished he could be anyplace other than in the velvet room. He didn’t like being in the small cell, didn’t like being around Igor.

So far, the long-nosed man hadn’t said anything, hadn’t done anything. He’d only watched Akechi with those unblinking eyes and distorted grin as the brunette had scrambled into the corner behind his cell’s bed. Chains rattled as he tugged at the ends of his sleeve cuff, the black and white material itchy against his skin. The last time Igor had called him here was to remind him of his ‘duties’ and to keep his resolve up. He didn’t want to think about that, didn’t want to remember what Igor had done or how cold he was.

Igor had been a constant presence in his life these last few years, even longer and more prominent that Shido. Both were similar, far too similar to each other for his liking. Both used him as a means to an end, wearing down at his psyche and chipping away at his sanity. It had been the prison master in the first place who’d ‘urged’ him to join forces with Shido. Though, it had been more like beat him into submission and stip him of choice.

The long-nosed warden claimed that ruin was coming, and that the only way to prevent it was to serve Shido and then tear him down at the apex of his power. The strange man never said what the ruin was exactly, he always answered Akechi’s questions with riddles and nonsense. Whenever he asked about why it was Shido, or how working with Shido was preventing ruin, he was only met with silence or more riddles.

In all honestly, Igor scared him more than either Shido, or the horrible adults he’d suffered under in the past. Shido beat him, or would have others beath him, when the brunette refused to cooperate, regardless of the reason. Then there was that time Shido had ordered two of his yakuza ‘friends’ to do just that when he’d tried to refuse to target a man with a family and make him psychotic.

In his younger years, adults, and even older kids, had sone the time; beat him, starve him, scream at him- whatever they thought would ‘motivate’ him into doing what they wanted. Or, if they simply felt like it. And there was nothing Akechi could have done to stop them; adults were bigger, heavier, and stronger than children.

Igor wasn't like that, and that’s what made the malproportioned man so terrifying.

What Igor did When Akechi displeased him was different from simple punishment. What would happen was whenever his disobeyed Igor, he’d transfer Akechi to what was called the isolation cell and leave him there. The isolation cell was a special part of the velvet room, beyond simply being nearly pitch black inside and devoid of any noise, the cell has the very special property of being able to cut Akechi off from his personas as long as the door was closed- leaving the detective truly alone in his head. After awakening to Loki, he’d never felt so alone, the horned god was always there in his mind to act as familiar comfort or a grounding force. On top of that, the disjointed nature of time in the velvet room could make the few hours he slept in the real world feel like days or weeks.

The last time Akechi’d been in that damned cell was when he’d awoken to Robin Hood. Despite the perpetual grin and bulging eye Igor wore, and expression that never changed, the prison master had been furious to learn he had bonded with another, however unintentional that bond was. His time then had started with the man making it clear as glass that bonds with others were frowned upon, and that he did not need such distractions.

The fear of punishment was the reason behind keeping Sae at arm’s length, that, and his own deeply rooted antisocial behavior. Because of his trama, Akechi willingly distanced himself from others, and had done so for years before then. He saw no point in friends, after years of being bullied and rejected by the kids around him, he grew suspicious of everyone who tried to talk with him, and deemed such bonds unimportant. That was why Akira’s justice confidant had shocked him so profoundly.

Robin was always torn. The white persona wanted his master to be happy, wanted him to form those meaningful bonds with others. But, soon after he came into this world, his cherished master was forced to suffer in darkness and silence, forced to endure the demons in his own head, all as punishment for such a bond. After that, Robin dutifully submitted himself to easing his master’s loneliness, and soothing Loki’s pain when the horned god’s agony was unbearable for all.

“An outcome I had previously deemed impossible has come to pass,” Igor said, deep voice rumbling like distant thunderclaps. “and so, to the victor goes the spoils of this battle. I applaud the trickster and his allies for managing to blindside and surprise even myself, but the war is not finished yet.” Igor chuckled deeply, darkly. “The final battle is fast approaching, how will he handle it, I wonder.”

Before he could think about Igor’s ominous words, a familiar, heavy-bodied feeling sank into the detective. Akechi’s time in the blue prison was coming to a close. Red eyes drooped as a mantle of sleep was settled over his drawn shoulders. Igor’s laughter reverberated through the room, in his cell, inside his head. It was a dark, thunderous hymn singing of foreboding promises to come.

When his eyes finally closed, darkness welcomed him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A headcanon of mine is that Yaldabaouth purposefully isolated Akechi to prevent him from losing his power to forcefully break the chains of others' hearts, which is a corrupt version of what wildcards do to cause secondary awakenings and the like. As such, he wasn't happy when Akechi acquired the justice confidant via Akira/Ren.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the sleeping detective finally wakes up, Sojiro begrudgingly becomes a father of 8, and Yaldi!Igor is horrible at being trustworthy. Feat; implied childhood trauma and unhealthy coping mechanisms.

A sharp, persistent humming noise –like the cry of a locust swarm- cut through the dark fog of dreamless sleep suddenly, and in a steadily increasing pitch. Groaning, Akira blindly scraped his fingers across the chilled surface of the attic floor until his fingers bumped against the edge of his phone. Blearily, he pushed the ‘stop’ button on screen, ending the alarm, before letting his face drop back into his pillow. The raven was caught between sleep and waking, hit brain taking it’s sweet time to properly wake up.

Even though the phantom thieves leader was currently unable to attend school, and thus didn’t have to adhere to such a rigorous sleep schedule, between Morgana’s insistence and his own prudent nature, Akire continued to follow a school-inclusive sleep schedule. Well, when the time came to return to Shujin, he’d be ready. If nothing else.

Groaning, Akira rolled over hoping to get comfortable, only to bolt awake through sheer blind panic when he nearly rolled off the edge of his unforgiving couch. Flailing about, the raven managed to narrowly avoid crashing down onto the floor, face planting back into his pillow with a soft ‘oof’. Huffing and just shy of wide awake, the raven-haired teen grumbled as he untangled himself from his thin blanket and slid off the lumpy mattress. Cold air brushed against his sleep-warmed skin, casting goosebumps and causing his to shiver slightly in the partial chill. Shuffling over to the cardboard box he kept his clothes in, the teen rubbed any last traces of sleep from his eyes as he yanked a set of clean clothes free.

Standing up, he spied Morgana joining him in the waking world- the black not-cat’s mouth wide from a silent yawn before rising steadily to his paws for a morning stretch. For as much as the small thief denied being a cat, he certainly fell into feline-like mannerisms easily.

Next to Morgana, Akechi remained curled up under the blankets. The brunette’s eyes were still closed, and his breathing remained slow and even from sleep. Throughout the night, the detective’s face had regained some of its color; trading out the ashen paleness for a pale rosiness. It didn’t seem like the detective was close to waking. Akira was quick to tug his black long-sleeve off his head and even quicker to tug the charcoal gray one he’d chosen back on, the mid-December cold nipping at his warm skin. Tugging on his pants, he left his sleeping clothes draped across the couch. They were still good for another few nights before he was pressed to wash them.

Turning off the space heater and tucking it away for the day, Akira tossed his blanket across Akechi. Morgana jumped down from the bed and padded over to the stairs leading down to Leblanc, the raven joined his dark-furred companion.

Descending the stairs, the pair entered into Leblanc’s main dining area. Sojiro hadn’t arrived yet, and wouldn’t be arriving for at least another 10 minutes or so- if his phone’s clock was to be trusted. Yawning and stretching his shoulders, the raven ran fingers through his mop of ebony curls as he deliberated his next move. They could wait for Sojiro to arrive and let him make breakfast (curry) like usual, or Akira could put his meager cooking skills to use for one, and make himself and Morgana breakfast. Not feeling like having Sojiro’s infamous curry for breakfast today, the raven opened the fridge to see what his options were. He snatched a nearly empty carton of eggs, some misshapen vegetables his guardian was sure not to miss, and a few other ingredients before shutting the fridge door with a knee.

“So, how was last night? You sleep okay?” Akira asked mindlessly as he reached down for a bowl. Finding a decently sized one, he placed it on the counter and began cracking eggs.

“Nya, it was fine, Akechi’s a better sleeping companion than you are,” Morgana replied, dabbing a paw over his face. “Doesn’t toss and turn like you do.”

The joking nature of Morgana’s words weren't lost to his leader, the teen smiled as he diced peppers and carrots. “That’s only because most nights you insist on sleeping on my stomach, makes it kinda hard to breathe,” He playfully retorted.

The pair exchanged witty, playful banter as Akira whisked the eggs and finished dicing vegetables- it was a key part of their morning routine. He’d missed the wordplay and comebacks while Morgana’s tantrum had run its course. Without the other’s company, the raven had found himself trapped in a silent solitude- a familiar loneliness from his time back home, when he was just the quiet kid everyone ignored.

The bell attached to the door chimed softly as Akira folded his omelet breakfast, he didn’t have to look up to know who’d just arrived. Sojiro huffed out a low chuckle, Futaba darted bast her foster father, making a beeline for Morgana.

“Monaaa!” She cheered, smiling impishly and quick fingers zeroed in on freshly cleaned cheek fluff. “aww, the fluff really makes my day.”

Morgana cried and hissed indignantly, trying in vain to shy away from the eccentric hackers musing of his carefully washed face. “Stop that! I just cleaned my face!” Futaba ignored him as she mused up his cheek and head fluff. Her victim sighed in resignation.

“I feel hurt, sick of my curry already?” Sojiro teased, laughter dancing in his dark eyes.

“I eat it for breakfast almost every day, sometimes ever for lunch and dinner too, I need some variety in my meals.” Akira pointed out. “unlike Futaba,”

His guardian chuckled and shook his head before easily stepping around his daughter and her hapless victim to reach the small café kitchen. Grabbing his apron from its hook, the older man easily settled into work mode as he began preparing for the day.

“Oh, I called Takemi before leaving the house, she should be here soon,” Sojiro said thoughtlessly, eyes perusing his stock of coffee beans.

“Thanks, you didn’t need to do that. I was gonna call her after breakfast.” Akira replied, shooting his guardian a thankful stare.

“It’s fine, the other kid still asleep?” Sojiro glanced over at the stairs.

“Yeah, he hasn’t moved much either, but he’s looking better,” Akira shrugged. He wasn't too concerned about Akechi’s health at the moment.

“As long as he doesn’t sleep for a week like Futaba did, we’ll be good.” Morgana hummed.

“Hey! It was not that bad!” The ginger-haired girl shot back. “And, besides, you guys weren’t on as bad a time crunch as we are now.”

Akira watched his two teammates squabble over the aftermath of Futaba’s change of heart, occasionally interjecting with his own thoughts and quips in between mouthfuls of warm omelet. The bell chimed a second time just as the raven was placing his dirty breakfast dish into the skink to be cleaned. A familiar face casually slipped inside, black painted lips quirked into a board pout as black-rimmed eyes swept over everyone.

Takemi Tae was a back-alley doctor whose clinic was located in Yongen- only a few building down from Leblanc. A regular of the café, Akira had helped the punk-dressed doctor develop a new drug, as her guinea pig, and eventually help clear her name. Before he’d met her and wormed his way into her life, she had been a semi-isolated woman who received much scorn from her peers, even labeled as “The plague” due to a medical error that she was blamed for. Now, she was his death confidant and the provider of most of the recovery items he used in the metaverse.

For as off-putting as her gothic punk-rock way of dressing way, Takemi had a brilliant head on her shoulders, and was one of the best pharmacists Akira had the pleasure of being acquainted with. All of the medications she distributed were self-made, and miles above even the name-brand medication sold at local drug stores. She was also aware of his secret as a phantom thief- she had deduced that fact through her own observation. Because of all this, she was his go-to doctor whenever he needed something.

At the moment, she was the only person he could bring himself to trust with Akechi’s health.

“I got a call from Sojiro asking me to make a house call here, so what’s going on?” She asked casually, shrugging her shoulders lazily.

“I need you to examine a friend of mine, he’s upstairs,” Akira explained, tilting his head in the direction of the stairs.

Takemi nodded and followed him up the short flight of stairs to his attic room. Nothing had changed, Akechi was still unconscious, curled up under a cocoon of blankets.

“He’s been unconscious since last night when he collapsed, and I want to make sure he’s alright.”

Takemi hummed, her expression giving nothing away as she dropped her medical bag down next to the bed and pulled out some vinyl exam gloves. “feel free to sit and watch, but you’re free to assist me,” She offered coolly.

Nodding, Akira hastily darted over to her side and excepted the pair of exam gloved she offered. He watched as Takemi pulled the blankets off of Akichi, tugging on his gloves to make sure they were on snuggly. He assisted the good doctor in stripping Akechi of his pea coat and leather gloves, then rolled up the brunette’s left shirtsleeve, cuffing it just below his shoulder. Takemi cycled through taking the brunette’s vitals and writing them down on a slip of paper, methodically recording temperature, blood pressure, respiration, pulse, and oxygen. Removing the pulse oximeter from his finger, Takemi glanced over the numbers and hummed thoughtfully.

“His temperature’s a little low, but not outside the normal range, his other vitals are all within normal range…” She said clinically.

Takemi rubbed at the brunette wrist with her thumb for a moment, furrowing her brows. Pulling out an alcohol wipe and tearing the packet open, she rubbed at the skin of his inner wrist. The alcohol wiped away a layer of cosmetics, revealing a set of parallel scars, soft peach with age, running up the length of his forearm. Akira felt himself swallow thickly, many of the scars didn’t look that old.

Takemi, unaffected by the sight thanks to her medical experience, rolled up Akechi’s other sleeve and repeated the process, exposing even more scars. The lines running up and down his dominant arm were neat and linear and all in a row, the ones on his right were thicker, deeper, some crisscrossing as others ran in all directions. They portrayed an unspoken pain, bitterness, and frustration of a soul pushed to the edge.

Another wipe was used on his face. Nothing quite as shocking was found. Besides having a light dusting of freckles that made the detective look Futaba-adorable, there was a small scar above his right eyebrow. Dark purple-blue ringed the underside of Akechi’s eyes, as though he hadn’t gotten a full night’s sleep in days, weeks even.

Lifting Akechi’s shirt revealed even more scars. The was a small, circular scar about the size of a 5 yen coin on the brunette’s right side. Akira recognized it as a bullet scar by its near-perfectly circular shape. There were a set of 4 parallel lines running down the other teen’s right collar, the aftermath of a shadow’s claws tearing skin.

The worst was the mess of scars that nearly covered the entirety of Akechi’s back. Even Takemi herself had reacted as the sight; lips pressed pale despite the layer of lipstick coating them. When it came time to pull the brunette’s shirt down, both breathed a soft sigh of relief. Akira pulled the blankets back up over the other teen as Takemi pulled her exam gloves off with audible snaps of the synthetic material.

“Alright guinea pig, I’ve finished my exam.” She said vaguely. “let’s go tell the others what we’ve found.”

The pair was quiet as they descended the stairs, Takemi herself was stoney and grim-faced when the others turned to them curiously. She retained her composure, and never let anything in her expression slip. Akira found himself admiring the doctor’s perfect poker face, not that his own wasn't impressive in its own right.

“The boy will be fine, he’s just in a slight stupor like your daughter was last summer, He’ll likely wake up before this evening,” Takemi began, reciting the good news first. “he’s unusually thin, lacking proper body fat for a boy his age and size, I wouldn't even be surprised if he was suffering from mild malnutrition and hunger.” He and Sojiro nodded. When Akechi woke up, they’d need to feed him. “also, while examining him, we found signs of past abuse, whatever he endured in the past is likely the reason behind his apparent insomnia and, any mental-health related issues you’ve all observed. I’d recommend keeping an eye on him after he wakes up,”

So he doesn’t hurt himself.

Takemi didn’t say it outright, but she didn’t need to. Everyone could read the unspoken warning between the lines.

“…Alright, thanks,” Sojiro answered awkwardly.

“No problem, I’ll head out now,”

No one said anything more as the general practitioner took her leave. Akira found himself thinking over what he’d just seen. Just what had Akechi endured in the past? The raven was no fool, he knew full well what the scars that marked the detective arms and back were about. He wouldn’t be surprised if there were more scars hiding beneath prime and proper clothing, just out of sight. It made him curious about the gloves Akechi was so fond of wearing. Was the leather simply a barrier against touch, or was there another reason to cover his hands and hide them away?

…There was no point in thinking about it, not while the detective was still unconscious upstairs. Speculation wouldn’t get him anywhere. They could ask him about it in person when he finally woke up.

“I’m going to go run some errands, there are a few last-minute preparations I want to finish before we send the calling card tonight,”

Futaba nodded, watching as he sat up and grabbed his bag. Morgana jumped from his spot on one of the chairs and into the bag readily, poking his head out as he pushed open the door and stepped out into the frigid December morning. There were things to do before the raid on Shido; stop by Iwai’s shop and check equipment now that Akechi was a part of the team, and maybe by Takimi’s on his way home to keep their stocks of hp and sp recovery items filled.

And, on top of all that, Akira needed to make a stop by the velvet room. He and Igor were in desperate need of a talk.

Red eyes slowly blinked open.

His mouth was an utterly disgusting fusion of bone dry and slimy, tongue scratchy against his lips. Akechi found himself cocooned in old blankets, watery winter sunshine streaming in from the wide window by the bed. It took the detective a long moment to realize he was not in his apartment, that the rickety mattress that was not his futon. Before fear and panic could take hold, bleary eyes landed on a work tabled linked with various crane-game dolls.

He knew someone with those same decorations. This wasn’t some strange place, this was Kurusu Akira’s attic room above Leblanc. With that realization, the brunette detective recalled the fight back on Shido’s ship, and the comforting safety he’d felt passing out in Akira’s arms. How long had he been out?

The blankets had been twisted and wrapped around his body tightly, but Akechi eventually managed to wiggle free, narrowly avoiding a dive off the bed in the process. Standing up on wobbly legs, he found that he was still dressed in the same white button-down and dark slacks he’d worn to the palace. At some point, his gloves and pea coat had been removed and carefully placed on the couch.

Had Akira removed it while putting him to bed?

Befoe he could mull over it further, his gut twisted and burned with a familiar pain; hunger. Right, he hadn’t eaten in a while. Carefully edging close to the stairs, Akechi began nibbling on his bottom lip. Unless the raven smuggled him in after closing, Sakura-san already knew he was here. That only made him feel even more anxious.

Swallowing down his anxiety, Robin, who’d previously been resting, murmured gentle encouragement as he cautiously put one foot down on the topmost rickety step. Loki remained eerily silent, an unusual occurrence that had him concerned if the horned got was even still there, until the persona grunted and proverbially flopped over. With both of his personas still with him, Akechi felt calmer, and carefully trudged down the steps.

The café was empty, practically deserted like it was most days. Sakura-san quietly listened, smiling softly, as his adopted daughter went on and on about something programming related. Most of the terms she was using flew over his head, and were likely just as confusing to her father, but he smiled and nodded. A sliver of envy made the detective paused.

Growing up, no one ever truly let him express his interest to them. His mother had been busy and stressed with making money and had little time to do more than a smile and chuckle over his antics, then she died. The orphanages were all so overpopulated, and the staff so overworked that none of them gave you any attention except when you were being yelled at. The foster homes were even worse. If your very existence wasn’t treated as a crime, then the parents usually didn’t give a damn about what you were into, and certainly didn’t want to hear about it. They wanted you to act grateful and make them look like upstanding people.

Akechi felt his knuckles turn white as his fingers viced around the banister. Futaba’s life hadn’t been much easier than his own. She knew what it was like to be ostracized from her peers for reasons outside her control, to be scorned by family, and passed around like an unwanted puppy. On top of that, she knew the pain of losing her only family, and he was the reason her beloved mother was dead. But, unlike the hacker girl, no one had stepped in to save him, no one had cared enough to see past the mask. No one listened to him ramble on and on about mystery books and featherman.

“Ahh, you’re finally awake.”

Sakura’s cool baritone cut through the soft quiet of the empty café, freezing the detective in place before he could dart back upstairs and hide away. Startled, like an animal staring down the headlights of an approaching car, he cautiously glanced back at the father-daughter pair who had finally noticed his presence. All at once, he was wishing he was back in the bowels of the ark and the partition was up, that the thieves hadn’t saved him and by now he was dead. He shouldn’t be here, not after everything he’s done.

“Woah, when did you get freckles?” Futaba blurted.

Akechi froze up, body going stiff. Damit! Akira must have removed his concealer before he woke up. His face had remained relatively unscathed from his hellish childhood; abusers always knew to avoid hitting the face most of the time- it was the easiest way to not get caught. There were times when control had been missing and tempers boiled over, but those all resulted in bruises and split lips, nothing permanent. There was a small scar above an eyebrow, the result of an older kid taking their frustration out on him. The makeup was more to make his face look more photogenic and presentable. And to hide how tired he was all the time.  
But after going so long wearing it in public, he wasn’t sure how to act without it on.

If his face was uncovered, then there was a good chance Akira had also cleaned his wrists. If facing the Sakura had left him a pile of raw nerves, the prospect that his wrists might be exposed despite being covered was spiraling him into a panic attack.

“…Get over here.” Sakura beckoned.

The brisk order broke Akechi from his downward spiral, giving him the opportunity needed to focus on something else. Obediently he slipped down the last few stepped and approached the bar. The brunette moved cautiously, like a wary animal that could start from the drop of a hat. Futaba gave him one of her bold smiles as he cautiously took the seat to her right. The orange-haired girl dove back into the logistics of some programming related thing or another as Sakura busied himself with something.

Akechi looked away, he couldn’t bring himself to face them, not yet. Rubbing a thumb against his clothed wrist, he looked at Sayuri. He’d lost his own mother at about the same age as Yusuke. His mother had tried her best to care for him, but the stress of being disowned by her family, and the pain of being belittled by those around her grated on her. He’d been nothing but a curse for her, a curse that eventually killed her when the burden became too much. Others called him cursed, kids at school, his fellow unwanted, caretakers, foster parents. The word was practically branded onto his skin alongside the rest of his scars.

A reminder that the world despised him for even existing.

Blunt fingers dug into his arm. Why was he even still alive? There was no discernable reason for a moral and just group to take in a stray like himself. They were doing fine before he’d entered their lives, and they would be much better of if they’d just left him for dead. They’d probably already be in Shido’s palace by now, on their way to steal his treasure and changed his blackened heart. He was only burdening them by being here-

The sound of porcelain clinking against more porcelain broke Akechi out of his brooding. Sojiro Sakura calmly retracted his hand from the familiar cup of steaming, dark brew.

“You looked tired,” The man shrugged. “drink that while I finish making curry, Tae said you’re too skinny for your age.”

Griping the handle lightly, the brunette lifted the cup from its saucer and raised it to his lips slowly. Sakura’s coffee was the best, and he’d tasted enough of the bitter drink in his short life to know what good coffee was. The hot liquid was bliss on his dry tongue, the nutty bitterness offset by a dash of cream and a few scoops of sugar. Just the way he liked it. Lowering the cup, the reflection of dark eyes from the surface stared back at him. Why? Why was Sakura being so nice to him? Why was Futaba chattering away so calmly right next to him? Why weren't they scream at him, demanding things from him? Why was he even here?

Why?

“Why what? Uhh, dude, are you okay?” Futaba asked tentatively.

Internally, Akechi berated himself. So lost in thought, he’d accidentally said part of that aloud. Stupid, stupid boy, can’t even keep his thoughts to himself. Setting his drink down, the brunette teen placed a hand against his mouth and looked at the ground, mortified. The word had just slipped out. Futaba stretched out a hand, pausing inches from his shoulder, hesitating. She withdrew her hand and placed both in her lap.

After several minutes of awkward silence, coffee cooling into a barely palatable lukewarm slush, Sakura placed a plate was steaming curry down, replacing the coffee.

“…Last night, I can’t say I was too happy to find Akira’d brought you here. Not after what you did to Wakaba,” Sakura stated. The older man ignored the harsh look his foster daughter shot him. “but, the kid told me there was more to your situation than blindly following Shido, like the fact he’s your father,”

Akechi felt every muscle in his body coil up. He generally refused to actually acknowledge Shido as his father. Fathers were people like Sojiro Sakura, who cared about their children and wanted them to grow to be the best people they could be. Despite not being Futaba’s father by blood, he’d protected her from the world when she needed it, had cradled and loved her when her own family cast her aside. He’d even been prepared to let her go if that was what she needed. Part of it was guilt for not listening to her mother, from laughing her concerns off as outlandish randomness. But, the genuine affection he had for not just Futaba, but for Akira as well, could make the love some fathers had for their blood children pale in comparison.

The little scraps of affection Shido tossed his way were crumbs in comparison to what the elder Sakura gave his own wards. It had made Akechi envious, watching others get what he’d lived without.

“I’d always known there was something off about him, but I never realized he was so twisted.” Sakura chuckled mutely. “we both know what you’ve done can’t simply be forgiven, but, it would be hypocritical of me to blame you without acknowledging your lot in life.” The older man gave him a soft look. “Now, eat, I could practically hear your stomach from the stairs!”

Flushing scarlet, Akechi hastily grabbed his spoon and began shoving food into his mouth. Beside him, Futaba snickered at the almost childish display.

“No one’s gonna steal your food, ya know,” She teased.

Akechi scowled at the younger girl through bites of food, cheeks puffed up like a hamster’s. Carefully chewing his mouthful of mild curry and rice into much, the brunette swallowed before biting back, “I-it’s just a habit of mine I picked up! No one steals your food if it’s already in your mouth!”

It was an old, old habit of his, something that had formed back in his first few years in the system. Stuffing his cheeks, not unlike a hamster, and chewing. It was a foolproof way of at least getting some food, most of the time. After nearly a decade of doing so, the habit had begrudgingly followed him. He’d forced himself to unlearn, publicly, it after becoming the second detective prince, it was a habit unbecoming of the mask. In private, there was no one to judge him for it. This was the first time he’d eaten like this in front of others. Giggling, Futaba poked at his stuffed cheek teasingly, he swatted her hand away with a huff.

Stepping out of the bustling Central Street station, Akira walked down the familiar street and back street that would take him straight to Untouchable. It was a small model gun shop tucked away from the public eye. The owner, Munehisa Iwai, was the thieves' primary provider of guns and weapons, as well as the man who bought their metaverse crap for a good price with no questions asked. Like Takemi, Iwai was a close confidant of his, nothing like sticking it to the mafia to bring people together. Akira was also fairly close to Iwai’s adopted son Kaoru, who he always greeted if the middle schooler was present.

Nose buried in a magazine as always, the older man smirked softly as he noticed who walked in the front door. The raven waved at the ex-yakuza and strolled up to the counter.

“Sup’.” He said smoothly.

“Heh, same to you, what’cha need?” Iwai asked.

“you know that friend of mine, the one who used the beam sword and laser? I’m working with him again, and thought I’d see if you’ve got any upgrades.”

Iwai rolled his eyes. Akira remembered the last time he’d bought equipment for Akechi from him, and the puzzled, questioning look he’d gotten from the shopkeeper when he purchased literal toys from him, both the ray gun and beam sword.

“Yeah, I think I have something in the back, let me go check.”

Browsing through the equipment for his other teammates, he was pleased to find what he already had was of a superior quality. Who knew alchemizing personas into weapons yielded such good results? He’d have to see what equipment for Akechi could be alchemized. If nothing else, after his talk with Igor he could get a new piece of armor.

A few minutes later, Iwai returned with some boxes. One was a powerful upgrade to Akechi’s gun, a sleek laser weapon with several cartridges for consistent damage. The other was a lighter, thinner hilt to a plasma weapon that when extended, looked eerily similar to the serrated sword Akechi had wielded in Shido’s palace. Both were much, much stronger than what Akechi already had.

“I still don’t know how you thieves use literal toys to steal shit,” Iwai muttered as Akira passed him the money.

The raven only smiled and grabbed the plastic bag with his purchase. The man didn’t know that in the metaverse, those ‘toys’ turned into the real deal; sharp and deadly as they would be here in the real world. Though the detective’s choice in weaponry was out there (likely a reflection of the childish nature that came when a person grew up too fast for their youth), they were no less effective against shadows.

“Thanks again, tell Kaoru I said hi!” Akira called over his shoulder.

Slipping back out into the back alley Untouchable was located in, he returned to the main streets, crowded and busy as ever. The velvet room’s real-world entrance Also happened to be located in a back alley off of Shibuya’s central street too, just about a block earlier than Untouchable. Ducking and weaving past flows of strangers heading in every direction imaginable, he ducked into another alley. It cut off into a dead end, and was empty except for an ethereal blue barred door. On top, Justine watched him sharply as he approached.

The door swung open silently, inviting him into the eerie stillness. As always, A small foot planted itself in his behind before the raven-haired teen could walk in of his own accord. The momentum sent him stumbling forward into the velvet room. No matter how many times that happened, he would never, ever get used to Caroline kicking him in. Why did The small blond girl even do that in the first place?

Awakening to soft velvet blue walls and dark iron chains, Akira calmly rose to his feet, sans the soft rattle of the shackles attached to both wrists, like his did so many times before. After coming and going from the deep blue prison so many times, the odd transition no longer fazed the raven-haired trickster. Marching towards the locked door, he stared defiantly at Igor, who chuckled.

“Welcome, inmate, to my velvet room!” The man greeted with a familiar sweep of his hands. “I sense that you’ve come with more than persona fusion in mind, how may I and my wardens be of assistance?”

“…You know why I’m here,” Akira bristled cooly. Igor was no fool, despite being his confidant of that arcana. The two stared each other down, neither one wanting to break eye contact first. For as much as he wanted to demand answers from the long-nosed man there and now, Akira knew he held little power in the velvet room, and that it was wise to play safety first.

Turning from Igor, he had the twin wardens show him the compendium, and the list of personas available for fusion. Taping a finger against his chin, the phantom thieve considered his possible actions. He had some room for more personas, and a few masks he wouldn’t need anymore, nor was he pressed for cash at the moment.

“Alright, I want to summon this one, and fuse it with these two.” He decided softly, pointing to the set of personas in question. The twin sisters nodded and prepared the guillotines.

In the back of his mind, Akira remembered the lecture one of his teachers had given on the machine in question. Their work was methodical and precise, despite the unnerving grins the pair wore as they worked. When they were done, the new persona looked at him, said their piece, and quietly entered his headspace. The process was repeated until the raven-haired teen had a lineup of personas he was satisfied with.

He thanked the pair with a brotherly smile, then turned once more to Igor, face setting into a defiant frown. He wasn’t leaving the velvet room willingly, not until he got his answers. That was Akira’s resolve.

“Igor, you know something about Akechi, about the second wildcard, the other who can call upon the power of multiple personas.” He declared loudly.

“What- another with the power to call upon other several personas?” Justine gasped. Her grip on the compendium might have ruined the thick book, if it had been a normal book and not a ledge of various spirits and monsters born from the human psyche.

“W-what the hell are you going on about, inmate!?” Caroline snapped demandingly.

Akira had suspected as much, that neither of the two girls were aware of it. Not only did Igor constantly keep them in the dark about many things, but the two young girls also weren’t the best at keeping secrets. If they had known, one or the other, most likely Caroline, would have let it slip at some point before now.

“Hmm, a second fool. Another with the power to call upon multiple facets of one’s self,” Igor mused. “such an odd thing to happen, two like powers, both struggling to dominate the other.”

You can stop with the riddles, I know you know!” Akira snarled. He was sick of the riddles.

“Shut up inmate!” Carolin hollered, bashing her baton harshly against the bars of his cell.

“How dare you speak to our master like that!” Justine added, scathingly icy.

He ignored them both. “You’ve told me before, you’re the one granting my allies and myself the app that lets us enter the metaverse, something he has for years now. Unless you truly are that much of a slacker, there’s no way you would have missed someone moving about in the metaverse years prior.” The raven accused. “And, don’t try and feed me some bull shit about you not knowing about another persona user, you warned me about him several months back when I was wrapping up my shit with Kaneshiro.”

The twin wardens were fuming at him, Caroline looked ready to break his cell door open and strangle him then and there, Justine looks as if she wanted nothing more than to sick Seth on him for this transgression. Igor, on the other hand, was calm and smiling, eerily unfazed by his accusations. Gripping the bars of his cell tight, knuckles turning white under the stress, Akira matched the long-nosed man’s unblinking stare.

“…Your trial isn’t over yet, trickster, do not assume the sinner of pride will just let you win. Moreover, do not forget that the rest is still to come.” Igor’s voice rang dark and chiming, like the gonging of a large bell. “Know this; to the victor goes the spoils of battle, but the spoils of war have yet to be gifted.”

Snarling, the raven bared his teeth in frustration. As per usual, the long-nosed man was being nothing but cryptic and confusing. Words laced with many different meanings, to the point it was difficult to tell truth from lies. Whose side was Igor on? It was obvious to think ‘he’s on my side’ considering the man was assisting him, but too many suspicious things were piling up. The prison master hadn’t outright denied knowing Akechi or gifting him the metanav, not that he was confirming it either.

What was the meaning behind 'to the victor goes the spoils'?

The final battle with Shido hadn’t happened yet, so obviously, the ‘war’ wasn't over yet. But, somehow, he got the feeling Igor wasn’t talking about facing off against Shido when he talked about being cautious of what comes next or the end of the war. This entire situation made him feel like he was playing shogi against an unseen foe, and only a few of the enemy's pieces were ever present at a time.

“…I am well aware that Shido won’t just roll over and die, it will likely be a hard fight,” He started. “answer me this; will defeating Shido prevent the ruin from happening?”

Igor chuckled. “Maybe it will, and maybe it won’t, only the hearts of man will decide that.” The odd man paused. “now then, I take it you have no further need to be here? Please, take your leave.”

Akira opened his mouth to protest, but before the raven could get a word out, his body all at once felt heavy, like his limbs were replaced by solid iron. The raven maintained his grip on the iron bars the best he could as his body slid to the ground, vision blurring and eyes drooping. Damnit! Struggling to stay conscious, he glared at Igor. Any belief he might be wrong in his suspicions of the velvet room’s master had vanished then and there. Igor was trying to hide something, be it information about Akechi or the nature of the coming ruin.

When Akira could finally open his eyes again, he found himself back in the lonely dead-end alley. Furious, he ran a hand through curly raven locks.

“So, how’d it go?” Morgana asked, perched on his shoulder.

“…I only got riddles, but I’m certain of it now; Igor’s hiding something.” Sighing, he turned from the spot the door normally was located. “I’ll ask Akechi what he knows about the velvet room, at the very least that’ll tell me exactly how trustworthy Igor is.”

Making his way back to the station, Akira checked his phone. It was several hours later than when he’d left the café, school would be letting out soon. Wandering down the underground station, the raven and his feline companion stood on the platform where a train heading for Yongen-Jaya would soon stop. He’d stop by Takemi’s on his way home, make his final last-minute purchases before seeing if Akechi woke up. Akira hoped with Shido’s defeat, some semblance of normality would return, but he wasn't going to hold his breath.

“Yo, Akechi! You’re finally awake."

Ryuji’s voice cut through the pleasant quiet of Leblanc. Behind him, the other Shujin students all quietly shuffled into the quaint café and sat where they pleased. The older girls all slid into one of the middle booths, Futaba instantly giving up her spot at the bar to join them. Ryuji lazily slid into the open chair to the brunette’s left. Yusuke, who attended Kosai, would likely be joining them shortly, and Akira was due to return from his shopping trip any minute.

Akechi turned to the loud blond and nodded. “yes, I woke up not too long ago. I apologize for the inconvenience.”

“Nah, it’s fine,” Ann replied. “after when you went through, I’d want a long nap too,”

“Ann is right, your need for rest did not cause us any problems,” Makoto agreed. “Oh, yes, Sis is stopping by your apartment to pick up some things for you, she should stop by later this evening,”

“Thank god, I’m really hoping to get a shower in,” The detective groaned. The others chuckled at his small display of drama.

“Oh, hey, did you always have that scar over your eyebrow?” Ryuji asked.

“Now that you mention it, I don’t think we’ve seen that before, the freckles either,” Haru observed.

Akechi blushed and looked away, still used to being picture-perfect. “I normally have them covered up with concealer, the scar is something I acquired while in one of many institutions I was passed around, it’s one of the less gruesome things I’ve quired growing up.” He answered bashfully.

They were already well aware that his past was a shitty one, no use in beating around the bush. He wasn’t about to go showing them the horror show his back had become, or any of the other nasty scars he hid away, but he felt he could be honest with them. These people were his friends, the first to see the real and uncensored mess of suppressed emotions and untreated mental issues squished into a pretty box decorated with bright colors and glitter.

“Well, I think it looks neat,” Ann said with a smile. “it gives you character, like those hard-boiled detectives in crime dramas!”

Akechi snorted. That something Ann would say, always one to find something positive.

The group of friends easily entered into a multi-faceted conversation about whatever random topic popped into someone’s head as they sipped fresh cups of Sojiro’s coffee, or some cold soda in Ryuji’s case. Expecting to be nothing more than an observer, Akechi found himself roped into the conversation by force. Somewhere down the line, Ann offered (read: shoved) him a bag of chocolate snacks she had on hand. The sweet-flavored wafer treats melted on his tongue, and soon enough the entire bag was gone.

“Looked like a fun party, mind if we join?” A familiar voice asked coyly.

So focused on the conversation, they’d all missed the chiming of the bell from Akira pushing the door open, Yusuke close on his heels. Morgana popped over Akira’s shoulder. “Lady Ann!” the black cat chirped.

Sweeping the room with his eyes, Akira smirked. “Looks like all of us are present, good, we can finally prepare the calling card.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The calling card, the chain-reaction, and their resolve. The final moments before the heist.

Sauntering in casually, Akira boldly took the empty chair to Akechi’s right, a mischievous smile that could rival Futaba’s on his face. Tugging down his hood, the phantom thieves’ leader turned to his companions. With his and Yusuke’s arrival, everyone was finally present and accounted for- everyone. Now, it was finally time to steal Shido’s heart and end the nightmare, once and for all.

“Finally!” Ryuji cried. “We’ve been waitin' forever to do this! So, how’re we gonna send the calling card?”

“It would be pointless to send it to the diet building.” Yusuke pointed out. Slipping into one of the empty booths closest to the door.

“And even if we handed it over to different media sources, who knows how it would be treated…” Makoto agreed. “the worst-case scenario would be giving it to the police under the table.”

“What shall we do then…?” Haru asked.

“Hey, why don’t we send it to Shido’s home?” Ann proposed.

“It wouldn’t work,” Akechi said. “Shido’s become rather paranoid, even in the event we are able to get the card into his home, he’d likely have someone dispose of it before reading. He knows how the calling cards work.” Looking at his hands, the detective sighed. “…sorry,” He mumbled quietly.

…Right, Akechi had learned about the mechanism behind the calling card while he was still under Shido’s control. It wasn’t unrealistic to believe the politician would have made Akechi inform him of how a change of heart came to pass. Shido would likely be wary of any incoming mail, and would have all information filtered through those he trusted, those who were in too deep. Sending him the calling card was a bust, the people around him would ensure he never felt his treasure was in danger. And, if the palace ruler didn’t feel the treasure was under threat, it would never manifest in the first place.

“Hmm, Futaba, didn’t you say back in the palace that you had something that might help?” Akira asked, remembering the exchange right after the cleaner’s defeat.

The orange-haired girl had been completely silent up until then, clacking away on her laptop with almost comical seriousness. At the mention of her secret trick, Futaba smirked and began chuckling darkly, like a cartoon villain. Akira would have been lying if he said it didn’t unnerve him.

“Um, Futaba-chan…” Haru inquired hesitantly.

“My Futaba Cannon is ready.” She proclaimed, pushing her glasses up whilst grinning madly.

“Huh?” Ryuji muttered.

“…I’ve got a strange feeling about this,” Akechi murmured just above a whisper. Too quiet for anyone else but the two seated on either side of him to hear properly.

“It’s good to go. Look.” Futaba chuckled. She taped a few more keys, likely entering a few more lines of code. “Now, if I do this…” She murmured to herself.

Adding whatever finishing touches she deemed necessary, the young girl turned her laptop to face them all, showing off what was on screen. Akira felt himself smirk at their navigator’s ingenuity, beside him, Akechi hummed thoughtfully. Everyone else looked at the screen in utter shock. Futaba had said she’d had a plan in mind, but calling it an effective solution to their dilemma was an understatement.

“When did you make this?!” Makoto asked, flabbergasted.

“You shoulda told us you were plannin’ something!” Ryuji demanded.

“To trick your enemies, you first gota trick your allies,” Futaba replied smugly.

“…She’s not, wrong,” Akechi agreed reluctantly. “but I think that applies more to war strategies, not sabotage.”

“How stylish.” Yusuke praised.

“It’s kickass!” Ann hollered.

“This should work nicely…” Haru agreed.

“All right! It’s time for people to start comin’ to their senses!” Ryuji proclaimed, driving a fist into his other hand.

“A calling card that even Shido and the conspiracy can’t avoid, you all are truly a devious bunch.” Akechi mused wistfully. “…I wish you all the best of luck.”

“You’re acting like you won’t be a part of this,” Akira teased playfully.

“H-hu?” The detective squeaked.

Ryuji patted the brunette detective down on his opposite shoulder, practically throwing his arm around him. “What? Common man, we all know you’ve got the biggest beef with the jerk, even bigger than Akira’s!” The bleach-blond chuckled. “you really think we’d say no to you punchin’ the bastard in his face?”

“Ryuji’s right,” Ann pitched in. “Most of our targets were personal, it wouldn’t be right to leave you out after everyone else got a chance to push back at the people who hurt them.”

“What the- Are you all serious?! I betrayed you all, blackmailed you all, almost killed Akira in police custody!” Akechi reminded them. “not even twenty-four hours ago I tried to kill you all, twice! Should you really be trusting me this much so soon?”

“You forget, I blackmailed them once too, and now I’m the strategist.” Makoto pointed out. “and as for the betrayal, we already saw that coming the moment you tried to make a deal with us.”

“And while it is true you tried to kill our leader, he had a plan in place to stop you,” Yusuke added.

“While it is true you did try to kill us, we understand that under different circumstances, you would have done otherwise,” Haru explained. “Besides, you already saved us twice soon after, more than that, you showed us you truly do care about us, Personas don’t lie."

“W-what?”

“Ahh, you must not have noticed it,” Morgana said. “During that fight with your cognitive double, Robin Hood evolved.”

“It’s as Mona said,” Akira confirmed, smirking over Akechi’s bewildered, stunned expression. “At that moment, the bond between us strengthened to its final rank, and Robin Hood had his second awakening.”

“Then… that’s why…?”

“Come on man, don’t you remember what we said back in that ship?” Ryuji chuckled. “We told ya we’re happy to have you as part of the team, this time for real.”

Overwhelmed, the detective slumped back in his seat, practically dropping his head against Ryuji’s shoulder as though he didn’t have the strength to hold it up. Tears were poking out from the corners of his eyes, but he wasn't exactly crying. Akira smiled softly. No longer was Akechi alone, it had taken well over a decade of suffering and trials to horrible to think about at the moment, but the broken boy was finally seeing that he was no longer alone.

Shifting his attention away from this heartwarming revelation, Akira turned to Futaba. “Futaba, how long will it take you to get everything set up?” He asked.

“Weeell, if we make the video today, I should have the editing done by tomorrow. The hacking will be the easy part, easier if Akechi’s willing to help me.” She shrugged.

“Heh, it's only fair that I do so, I’m not sure how useful I’ll be, but I promise to do my best.” The detective said, brushing the corners of his eyes.

“Alright, we send out the calling card December 17th.” Akira declared.

“Now that we have that out of the way, Akechi,” Morgana said, jumping onto the table. “I think we’re all curious to know how and why you ended up working with a man like Shido. This is the only time to ask before the heist.”

At the mention of Shido’s name, Akechi’s shoulders slumped. “Yeah, that, that’s fair.” He nodded.

“…Thank you, this probably isn’t easy for you,” Yusuke said.

Sighing, Akechi shifted in his seat and pulled away from Ryuji. “As I mentioned to Akira and Futaba last summer, my mother became ‘acquainted’ with a good-for-nothing man who abandoned her the moment he learned she was pregnant. And, as I said back on the ship, the man was Shido… It was while I was still in my last year of middle school, I had just turned 15 if I remember correctly.” The brunette explained wistfully, a sigh escaping his lips. “I was more or less dragged into mementos then, I even ended up in a pretty deep part. I wandered around for a bit, trying to find my way out while avoiding the strange masked monsters I would later learn were shadows. Eventually, I stumbled into a den- what I call the places where peoples’ shadows tuck themselves away in.

“The den belonged to the shadow of a bully of mine, the kid was about a year older than I was at the time. When he transformed and began attacking me, I was certain I was going to die; the shadow was stronger, faster, and he had no qualms about tearing me apart. After so many years in the foster system, alone and constantly abandoned, I was pretty much ready to lay down and die. It was then, in my darkest, lowest moment, that a part of me rebelled; it was the part of me angry at the world for kicking me aside and leaving me to the wolves, the part of me that wanted to burn that very world to cinders. Loki awoke from those emotions, from the pain and anger that had festered over the years. My newly awoken persona wasn’t strong, but the power to unshackle the chains of one’s heart gave me the chance I needed to escape.” Akechi’s final words were warbled with either pain or sorrow, his eyes glassy and dark as he talked.

“So, in a way, it was a coincidence you learned about your power to control others…?” Makoto wondered.

Akechi shook his head. “That’s not how call of chaos works, I can’t make people do what I want.” He explained. “how the power actually works is this; I forcibly break the chains binding a person’s heart, removing things like morals that would prevent a person from acting on their desires.”

“So that’s how it worked.” Morgana mused. “Those people didn’t do those things because you ordered them to, but because deep down they wanted to.”

Akechi nodded. “Yes, using that very power, I targeted the people trying to disgrace Shido with a scandal and got close to him. I offered to use my power to benefit him, while biding my time to enact my revenge.”

“Loki’s that horned persona- the white and black one right? Man, it was really weird, and kind of creepy.” Ann said.

“Loki is powerful, but he’s hard to control,” Akechi admitted. “Not only does he naturally drag me down into a semi-psychotic state whenever I have him as my main, but often he’ll suffer him these episodes of intense agony, and I end up feeling his pain as my own. Actually, when I encountered you in Shido’s arc, one of those pain flashes was already starting.” The detective recalled with a thoughtful hum.

“Hmm, interesting.” Futaba murmured. “I remember Loki giving off this strange reading the entire time…”

“It is strange,” Makoto agreed. “None of our personas have a problem like that.”

“Did you already know about the mental shutdowns by then?” Yusuke asked. “you said you’d offered him the use of you’re powers, was that included.”

Akechi flinched. “…When I first started working with Shido, I was very cautious not to fight shadows, not the ones belonging to people anyway. I didn’t know what might happen to them if I did, and I wasn't eager to find out.” The detective folded his arms on the back of his chair and rested his chin down. “Several months into our partnership, Shido became dissatisfied with my power. At the time, there was something he wanted from someone, and determined them to be the perfect target.” He looked at Futaba, then looked away quickly. “…Isshiki Wakaba’s cognitive psience research. He ordered me to kill her shadow so he could acquire the full research.”

“…I thought as much,” Makoto murmured.

“W-what do you mean?” Ryuji stammered.

“Akechi didn’t join Shido with the intention of killing anyone, right?” Akira offered. Their strategist nodded.

“Yes, during our fight I noticed it was odd he never talked about killing Shido even though there were intense negative emotions directed at the man.” She explained. “Akechi, the only reason you learned to kill was because of Shido, correct?”

“…Yes,” Akechi admitted softly, shoulders hunching up. “I originally refused. Shido retaliated, claiming he’d seen part of her research. He insisted that killing a person’s shadow was fine- the person would only end up in a light coma for a few hours before their shadow reappeared. I didn’t believe him and continued to refuse, but, between Shido’s physical punishment in retaliation, and Igor’s own punishment, well, I eventually caved in,” Akechi chuckled bitterly. “The next day I did as commanded. Her shadow never reappeared, and lo and behold, a few days later Isshiki falls into traffic…”

“…What the eff!” Ryuji growled. “So not only did he make Futaba’s mom into a suicide, but he forced you into killing her? That’s sick and wrong on so many levels.”

“And after that… Shido had power over you, forcing you to kill over and over again. Eventually, you just got used to it, and became numb to it all.” Futaba murmured sadly.

Igor. Akira forced himself not to openly snarl at the mention of the long-nosed man’s involvement. Akechi was obviously well acquainted will the prison master, and not for the best if the slight tremor in Akechi’s voice was anything to go off of. The raven both wanted and vehemently wished not to know what punishment Igor had given Akechi.

“And you had nothing to do with the fake suicide note, right?” Ann asked hopefully.

“Hell no!” Akechi cried. “…after killing Issiki-san, I stayed out of her family’s affairs…” the detective whimpered, burying his face in his arms. “if I’d known what that man would do… there’s no way I could have any part in something like that, I know what it’s like.”

Makoto’s lips were pale from being pressed together, brows knitted together in intense concentration.

“…Igor,” She muttered. “you mentioned him earlier, as one of the people who coerced you into killing Futaba’s mother, who is he?”

“Actually, Hasn’t Akira mentioned an Igor before?” Ryuji pointed out.

“Igor, master of the velvet room, and the supposed aid to wildcard; guiding them towards rehabilitation.” Akira supplemented. As well as a master manipulator and utter bastard of a mastermind.

Standing up, Akira placed a reassuring hand on Akechi’s back. Igor’s existence, and the velvet room as a whole, was too complex a discussion for the moment. He’d tried on a few occasions to explain it, but his words just went over everyone's heads. It would be better if he and Akechi had a conversation, alone. “I’m going to talk to him about this stuff upstairs, come on,”

With a bowed head, Akechi followed him up the rickety flight of stairs up into the attic. Recalling his earlier conversation with the strange man, he’d gotten a partial confirmation he was involved with the detective through subtext, now, hearing Akechi speak his name gave him solid proof. Whatever the long-nosed man put the brunette through in the past, sounded like it bordered on traumatic.

In the attic, they had the illusion of privacy, if nothing else. A sense of security that would, hopefully, help Akechi to open up. Akira was anxious; nervous to find out what horrible things Igor had put the detective through.

“…As you’re aware, I know about Igor and the velvet room. For me, he is the one alongside Carolin and Justine who helps me fuse new personas. Supposedly, or so he claims, by working as a phantom thief, I can prevent some kind of ruin from happening.” Akira explained slowly.

To the other thieves, every time the raven entered the velvet room, they saw him entering a trance-like state. Sence Akechi was aware of the velvet room’s existence, did the detective see something else? Could the brunette see him enter and exit the prison cell door?

Akechi chuckled darkly. “He said the same thing, claiming that by working with Shido before betraying him at the height of his power, I could prevent a great ruin from befalling Japan.” The brunette detective shook his head. “I can’t say I surprise to find out it’s all utter bull shit.”

Two different versions of the same warning. One used to make a murderer, and the other to birth a thief. Just what was the malfigured man planning behind that eerie smile of his? Igor had forced Akechi to work with Shido, and helped the twisted politician force Akechi to stain his hands with blood, had molded Akechi into a murderer for some end-goal. What was it? Just what outcome could Igor hope to obtain by making a teenager into a monster?

“When you ask him about the ruin, does he also give you riddles and silence?” Akechi asked.

“Yeah, and when I press him for more, the twins get angry and bang their batons on my cell door,” Akira replied, offering the detective a small smile. “So, what’s you’re wardens like?”

“…I’m not sure what you mean. It’s only myself and Igor in the velvet room.” Akechi responded, a hit of confusion coloring his voice.

Akira had already proven that Caroline and Justine had no relation to Igor’s guidance over Akechi, but it was surprising to head he had no attendant at all. Though, thinking about it, Akira had only ever seen Akechi use the two personas; Robin Hood and Loki. And, from Akechi’s story, Loki was his initial persona, the one awoke from his initial rebellion. Actually, Akira didn’t know how or when Akechi had acquired Robin Hood. From the way it sounded, it was through slightly different means than Loki.

“Akechi, how did you get Robin Hood?” Akira asked.

“Do you remember our meeting last June?” Akechi said. Akira nodded. “You said back then, that I became your justice confidant. Well, at that time you became my justice confidant. Soon after that, I entered mementos and obtained Robin Hood.” The brunette chuckled dryly, eyes distant. “I was surprised myself, I didn’t know it was possible for anyone other than you to have multiple personas. Though, Igor wasn’t happy when it happened.”

Akechi hugged his arms close to his body, shoulders shaking slightly. Whatever the detective was remembering, it was making him distressed and defensive. Just what did Igor do to him in that deep blue prison?

“He wasn’t happy? That’s different from me, he explicitly told me to go form bonds with people.” Akira replied softly.

The brunette grimaced. “Not with me, when he dragged me into the velvet room the night after my first awakening, one of the first things he told me, after coercing me into working with Shido, was that bonds were unnecessary shackles that would only serve to hinder me in preventing the ruin. He claimed they were unnecessary distractions, and that I was best alone.”

Akira chewed his lip. That was nearly the exact opposite of what Igor had told the raven, stating in explicit terms that Akira’s power would grow and mature as he made deep, intimate connections with those around him, those who had been wronged by society themselves. Their powers were similar to one another, so, in theory, Akechi’s powers would likely mature and grow with the forming of true bonds. So then, why was Igor so insistent upon isolating Akechi and smothering his social development while fostering Akira’s?

Thinking deeper on it, Akira had a dark thought.

What if their powers were nearly identical, just as he assumed? The power to drive others psychotic… Akechi had just explained a few short minutes ago that the power was to forcefully break the chains of one’s heart, a similar phenomenon to when Akira had maxed the other’s confidants and triggered the second awakening in them all. Could it be that Igor was trying to maintain that power, a twisted, corrupted version of his own abilities as a wildcard?

A feeling of icy dread crashed over him. If call of chaos was truly just a corrupted wildcard’s ability, then, it stood to reason that if Akechi recovered from his trauma and isolation, the nature of that power would change back. What reason could Igor have to need such a dark, broken power? Nothing good.

“I always found it strange,” Akechi spoke softly. “both how you’re able to enter the velvet room while still awake, and why the other’s never seem to see you enter. I assume the girl with the braid you follow through the door with one of those wardens you spoke of?”

“Yeah, in the metaverse it’s Justine, in the real world Carolin literally kicks my ass inside.” It was a less than pleasant experience for Akira, but Akechi seemed to get a chuckle out of it. “How do you get into the velvet room, if not through the doors?”

“Igor drags me in through my dreams, the doors are always locked for me,” Akechi explained somberly. “Right after I passed out in Shido’s Ark, Igor dragged me into the velvet room. I thought he was going to punish me again, but all he did was say something about a victor claiming the spoils? I woke up after that…”

Akira felt a flare of rage. So, Igor had been referring to Akechi when he’d talked about the spoils of battle. Did the long-nosed man see the detective as nothing more than a pawn in some game? A prize to be changed hands?

“You mentioned that before? Just what does Igor do to you?”

Akechi hugged himself tighter. “When, whenever I did something he didn’t like, Igor would long me in the isolation cell for long periods of time… It’s happened before, several times. Once, when I refused to kill Isshiki Wakaba’s shadow, the last time was, when I formed a bond with you…”

Locking someone in the isolation cell? In his own velvet room, the twins had informed him the isolation cell was a place to lock one of his personas in for a time, and supposedly acquire a new skill for it. Akira had tried it out once. When he’d retrieved the poor Mandrake, the thing had been a shivering mess and remained that way for several days afterward before returning to normal. He never used it against after that.

Igor apparently used that very cell on Akechi. Akira couldn’t, didn’t, want to imagine what it felt like to be in such a place for what could have felt like even days. The disjointed nature of the velvet room’s space-time meant it could feel like days passed by even if it was only an hour in the real world.

“…Sorry, seems I’ve touched a sore spot,” Akira said softly.

“…You didn’t know, it’s fine.”

Before either could speak further, Leblanc’s door chimed as someone opened it. Hastily making their way downstairs, they found the others greeting Sae as she walked in, the promised bag of clothes slung over one shoulder. Noticing them, the older woman paused. Behind him, Akechi shrank back.

“…Sae,”

“Akechi…”

A think, awkward silence permeated between the two. Eventually, Sae managed to find the composure to crack a small smile, breaking the tension between the two partners. “Glad to see you’re doing better now,” She said, hold the bag of clothes out for him. “So, anything new happen?”

“We’re planning on sending out the calling card tomorrow evening, though it won’t be much of a card,” Makoto informed her sister.

“Oh? I know there was always the issue of how to get Shido to see the card, so what’s the solution?” The older woman asked, taking a seat.

“Oh, just a little something I’ve prepared. Not even Shido’s influence can stop it if it’s plastered over every TV screen in Japan!” Futaba cackled.

“… You know what, I think I won’t ask for details.” Sae deadpanned. “That way I can truthfully say I had no involvement if this all goes south.”

“Speaking of which, how will it affect you?” Sojiro asked her.

“…As the one to officially see Akira alive, the moment that calling card is out, I’ll likely be having people come hounding me for answers.” She hummed. “Akechi’s interrogation of the suspect was never officially documented, likely to cover their tracks.”

“Sis…” Makoto murmured.

“Sounds like you’ll be in a load of hot water, then,” Sojiro replied, setting a cup of the house blend down in front of the woman.

Sae took a long, slow sip of her coffee. “My plan is to claim ignorance using the calling card, I’ll just claim I have no clear memory after receiving it. It should work as a buffer to keep me from being labeled a true accomplice.”

“…Or, you can tell them the truth.” Akechi spoke up. “tell them that you saw me visiting Akira, that should clear you of blame entirely.”

“What are you saying Akechi?!” Sae snapped. “If I do that then they’ll-“

“The moment we send out the calling card, Shido is going to know both that I failed to kill Akira, and that I’ve betrayed him. He won’t know where I am, and as long as I’m with the others, I won’t be caught.”

“Still…” Sae sighed.

“Don’t worry, Niijima-san, we take care of our own.” Haru consoled the lady prosecutor.

“Yeah, like hell we’d let any of us get caught!” Ryuji agreed.

“Sae, when Shido’s people learn Akira’s still alive, they are going to be in a panic, if they have a reason to believe you assisted in his escape, willing or otherwise, they will make you suffer for it.” Akechi insisted. “I’ll be fine, I’m no longer alone, so, please, I’d rather take the fall for you.”

The train ride from Yongen to the Okumura manner was quiet, and only slightly awkward. Akechi hesitantly followed Haru into her house, clutching at the bag of clothes Sae had left him with like a pillow. No matter how many calming breaths the detective took, his nerves refused to settle.

After recording the video, everyone went home for the day, leaving Futaba alone to work her computer magic in preparation for tomorrow. When deciding what to do with him, the young Okumura offered to let him spend the night. She claimed to was so their two important members weren’t in the same building, in case the police figured out Akira was alive and back at Leblanc.

But, a part of him wondered if it was to keep an eye on him. Akechi wouldn’t be surprised if the curly brunette didn’t trust him yet, not after everything he’d done to her and her friends. It was still so jarring to have her welcome him back into the group with such open arms in the first place.

Hate was easier to deal with than compassion.

“The bathroom’s down that way, there should be fresh towels already set out.” She directed him, smiling. “It’s the second door on the right.”

“Thank you,” He breathed, slipping off his shoes and ducking down the hallway she’d pointed at.

After going for so long without a shower, Akechi felt utterly disgusting. It didn’t matter that the detective wasn’t particularly sweaty or smelly at the moment, he stuck to a rigorous personal hygiene schedule. Forgoing proper hygiene care affected his mental health, something that could use a good pick-me-up after such a long day. Placing his bag of clean clothes down on the toilet lid, Akechi stipped himself of his dirty ones and started up the water.

Waiting for it to warm, the detective found himself looking over his body in the mirror. Just as he’d suspected, the Takemi woman had cleaned his arms as well as his face. He wasn’t sure who else had seen the scars, other than Akira. There was no way the black-haired youth wasn't aware of them.

Lines of scars ran up and down his forearms; the ones of his left arms were tracks of messy horizontal lines. They hadn’t been particularly deep or forceful, considering they were made with his right hand, his non-dominant hand. The ones marking his right, however, were more numerous and thicker. With the dexterity of his left hand, he had poured bitter pain and termination into each line, digging sharp edges in with barely restrained abandon. His back was a mess of several years' worth of abuse, the skin a patchwork of washed out pink and milk-white that curled around his ribs, shoulders, and sides. Higher up, just above the nape of his neck, was a thin line from long ago, when he’d fallen (pushed) down a flight of stairs and his neck had met the sharp corner of something in the way.

It was a miracle the force hadn’t broken his neck.

Across the left side of his collar bone was the mark left when a shadow’s claws had caught him. On his right side was the healed remained of a bullet hole. Both were more exotic scars from fighting shadows in mementos. The detective had never really had to worry about injuries while doing his less savory work, the supernatural properties of the metaverse made healing even the most deadly-looking wounds heal completely. Peaking out from the inner parts of his thighs were more self-harm scars, lines that had been made with the same violent intent as the ones on his right arm. Across the right side of his right calf was a burn- the last of his metaverse scars, that one had come from a palace ruler.

Lifting his bangs, Akechi staired at the last of his scars; small circular burn marks from where cigarettes were snuffed out against skin, just below his hairline. The scars were the most bearable thing about his body.

Sighing, the brunette tore his gaze away from his reflection and opened the shower. Stepping under the hot spray, he shut the frosted glass door and just stood there, letting the warm water run down his skin for several minutes. Savoring the relaxing feel of hot water, the godsend miracle just next to sugar and coffee, he groped around the stall before finding a bar of soap. Scrubbing his flushed skin primrose pink, Akechi thoroughly washed with the scrutiny of a germaphobe.

When his skin was exceptionally clean, he squirted out a fragrant green shampoo and scrubbed at his scalp. His hair wasn’t exactly oily, but if he went too long without giving it a proper scrub, it would start to look greasy and make his scalp crawl. Rinsing out the shampoo, a small squirt of equally fragrant conditioner was rubbed thoroughly into his hair and left in for several minutes as he carefully scrubbed his face. When both were decently clean, he rinsed the suds out.

It was impolite to use a host's shower for longer than strictly necessary, or maybe that was just something that had been beaten into him over the years. Akechi shut off the water when he was finished, and snatched up a fluffy white towel, spurred on by the post-warm water chill. Wrapping the fluffy towel around his hips, Akechi rummaged through his clothes to see what Sae had grabbed him. …Somehow, the woman had found the only printed long sleeve he owned (and usually kept in the waaay back of his wardrobe), along with another pair of charcoal black dress slacks.

Hastily pulling everything on, Akechy stuffed his dirty clothes into the bag and slipped out of the bathroom. He’d forgotten about this shirt. It was a Featherman Victory sweater he’d somehow won a few years back. Back then the size had been too big, couple that with it being a nice sweater, he rarely wore it to keep it nice. After moving into his own space, the sweater never fit his detective persona, so he never wore it outside of the apartment.

Wandering around the manor, he eventually found Haru in the kitchen, a dinner for two was already laid out on the kitchen bar.

“Ahh, perfect timing!” She said, spotting him. “I’ve just finished dinner, it’s nothing fancy, just something in the fridge I reheated in the oven.”

Joining her at the island bar, the detective found dinner to be a plate of colorful vegetables was paired with grilled fish over some noodles. Carefully picking up the chopsticks, he murmured a soft “thank you for the food” in chorus with the girl and both began eating.

It was good. Going by the taste, it was likely either leftover from a restaurant dinner, or the family cook was just that good. A part of him did wonder if, perhaps, Haru had cooked this herself at some point. It was miles better than Akechi’s usual diet of instant noodles and bits of fruit. It wasn’t that the detective had an eating disorder per se, it was just that he was used to not eating much and going hungry.

Even before his mother died, money was tight; food was always carefully rationed so they could pay rent and other important bills. Afterward, there wasn’t much food to go around in any of the institutions he stayed at, and a common punishment among his various foster parents was being denied food. Hunger pains were just something he was used to, much to the chagrin of Sae, who was well aware of his sporadic eating habits. But as a detective, and a high school one at that, there was very little downtime, eating and such was often done alongside paperwork of school assignments.

The brunette male was well aware he was skinnier than his peers. The consequence of his poor eating habits.

“It’s been a long time since I last ate with someone, it’s nice,” Haru said.

Akechi felt his gut sink. Okumura Kunikazu wasn’t the best person, even less so of a father, but he was the only family Haru had left. How often did they eat together as a family, even if there was only silence between them? Now, Haru had no one to share her meals with.

“After Grandfather died, Father started becoming withdrawn from everyone.” Haru continued. “By the time I was in high school, we stopped eating meals together as a family except as social gatherings.”

So, Her father’s passing hadn’t changed much in regards to dinner company. It didn’t do much for his mood, but Akechi could sympathize. After becoming the second detective prince, he’d often eat alongside Sae while working, but before then, he often ate alone too. Even before she died, his mother worked long hours, leaving him alone in their dinky little apartment to fend for himself.

Dinner passed to its conclusion in a light silence. Taking his plate to the sink, Akechi began rolling up his sleeves. Cleaning one’s own plate was the courteous thing to do, even if he was a guest, completely forgetting about his arms. Thankfully Haru only saw his less mangled arm, at first. The curly-haired brunette opened her mouth, likely to politely say he didn’t need to wash his plate, words died on his lips as she gasped and nearly dropped her own plate.

“Akechi-kun, your arm!” She cried.

Haru sprinted towards him despite the short distance, grabbing his arm to inspect the damage. Panicking, the detective tore his arm from her surprisingly strong grip, and pressed it to his chest. His eyes remained on the white tiled floor, he didn’t dare look up and see Haru’s expression. Nonononon, she saw them. Bad Goro, bad, only bad things happen when people see your scars, no one likes them they-

Haru placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry, Akechi, I panicked, thinking they were worse than they actually were, and forcefully grabbed you.” She said.

“Y-you don’t need to say that, I’m sorry you had to see them.” He mumbled.

“Akechi… Goro, I can only imagine what life must have been like to push you to such desperation, please don’t apologize because of your scars. They are a part of who you are, and no one should be shamed for such small things like scars.” She said warmly.

This was the first time anyone had said such gentle and kinds words to him. His scars were always used by others to belittle him, break him down, and make him feel horrible. Haru was the first person to encourage him not to feel shame over them, even knowing what there were. It felt like a dam was starting to crumble.

“… Thank you.”

“The pleasure is all mine, friends help each other after all.”

I am thou, thou art I, Thou hast acquired a new vow. It shall become the wings of rebellion that breaketh thy chains of captivity. With the birth of the Empress persona, thou have obtained the winds of blessing that will lead to freedom and great power…

Words of power and promise echoed in Akechi’s head. It was the same as with Akira, all those months back…

So, Haru was the empress. In a way, it was fitting; deceptively powerful despite her small stature and gentle face. What would the persona she would help to awaken look like?

It was a chilly December evening, the trees bare of their leaves for the winter strung up with cheerful warm fairy lights glimmering alongside the bright neon and industrial white of the city’s many buildings and signs. In the background, a news anchor was droning on about the recent suicide of the Phantom Thieves’ leader several weeks back. The people passing by barely paid it much attention, not even noticing when the screen fell to static, nor the deteriorating visuals until several seconds after the thieves' logo popped up, red and black against a backdrop of snowy static.

It wasn’t until a voice cut through the mild chatter that people finally took notice.

“Yo! What is UP everybody?” A voice said, catching the pedestrians’ attention.

“We are the ones who you all know as the phantom thieves,” A second, more toned down voice proclaimed.

“And all of us are aliiive and kickin’” The previous voice drawled.

As the upbeat voice spoke, the logo visual was swapped with the spinning image of a black ball with pointed feline ears, a wide toothy grin, big cartoonish cobalt eyes, and a small zigzag tail. It was some strange mash-up of what looked like mouse and cat.

“But those shitty guys in power? they’ve been manipulating’ information to try and hide the truth.”

It was obvious the voices were being modulated to hide their identities, the two pitched tones a dead giveaway. Across the city, several more public monitors started displayed the strange logo along with the audio. Behind the scenes, TV stations all over Japan were finding themselves hijacked, forced to show off the thieves’ message as people scrambled to react.

“Sooo, before we appropriate our next target…” A female voice chirped. “We would like to first borrow your time!”

“The recent scandals of public figures, the accidents caused by psychotic breakdowns and mental shutdowns—these weren’t caused by unknown reasons.” The cool voice informed the masses.

While the thieves spoke, the logo’s visuals moved around in animated little skits. The first was having the ball creature open its mouth after bouncing once, a black ball blowing up, the creature bleeding into the back ball, and then it rotates to reveal the creature once more. Another was its tail vanishing, one piece at a time- like a bomb fuse- before the words “bang!” accompanied by flashing vivid colors appeared on screen. This was followed by about 9 of those logo monsters, smaller now to better fit on screen, bouncing around wildly for several seconds before jumbling back into one big one again, the creature bouncing once at the end.

“One man is behind every single instance… simply to satiate his own greed.”

“That man was afraid his crimes would be exposed and shifted the blame on us-“

“It wasn’t so much that he was afraid, but wanted someone to take the fall in the end, so his crimes could be easily covered up by the time his goals were achieved.”

“Oh, sorry. He even manipulated the police for that.”

“We only steal the hearts of criminals. But this asshole tried to dump what he did on us.”

While the hijacking of the media went on, the police scrambled to make sense of this situation. Officers in uniform scrambled all over, chaos quickly descending and they tried to shut down the broadcast.

“That just goes to show he doesn’t care about those victims at all!”

“The identity of that cowardly man is-“

Before the voice could finish, the broadcast cut out. On the streets, some more outspoken individuals whined at the sudden cut.

“Ooh, the police reacted much faster than I thought,” Futaba observed, amused. “Tooo Baaad…” she sang.

With a single click of her keyboard, she overrode the police, as well as spread her single to every crevice of Japan she could reach. Beside her, Morgana grimaced at the heartless bulldoze. On her other side, Akechi winced. Though he was the one feeding her insider information about both the police and TV stations, the part of him that was still a part of the force cried out at such brutality.

“The man behind it all is a current cabinet member, of all things.” The calm voice said as the broadcast resumed. “The Minister of State for Special Missions…”

“Shido Masayoshi!” A different, venom-filled voice spat as a picture of the man in question was brought up.

“Everything that guy says is a lie!” The feminine voice said. “and to prove that… Look!”

The picture of Shido, the frontrunner candidate in the election, was replaced by an image of 9 silhouettes, 8 human, and 1 strange cat creature.

“As you can see, all of us are alive and kickin’!”

“I’m sure the people investigating us can tell if this is a lie or not. Shido himself will soon confess all the crime that he’s committed.”

“Please look forward to it everyone!”

Once more the photo of Shido was brought back up, this time with the odd mascot creature chewing on Shido’s head intently.

“We’re not gonna sit back and watch some crook wreck this country just ‘cause of his goddamn ego.”

The picture shrank down, soon, one of the thieves’ was holding it. They seemed to stare at it intently for a moment, before tearing it in half and discarding it. On the other side of who was assumed to be the leader, the speaker looked over.

“Ain’t that right… Leader?”

The video zoomed in on the figure’s face. As they stepped into better lighting, a white and black mask came into view, along with determined gray eyes. “Yes. Before that happens, we will take this country!” They declare, determined.

That pulled a cheer from the crowds watching the broadcast.

Tucked away in his office, Shido watched the broadcast on a handheld device, face contorted into disgust. He could already tell, seeing 9 figures instead of 8, that he'd been betrayed.

“Hello? Yes… Yes… We’re looking into it now…” his assistant said over the phone.

“Very well.” Shido found himself saying. “I’ll crush them beneath my heel!” He spat at Joker’s image.

Inside the police station, it was total chaos. Staff were all running about like headless chickens trying to do damage control alongside trying to figure out what the hell just happened.

“Did the remaining members put that notice out?!” The police director demanded. “What did they mean when they said, “nobody has died”?! Could they have installed a new leader just to threaten us and Shido?!”

“We're going to check with the different departments…” The chief detective snapped back. Before he could say anything more, the man's phone began ringing. “Excuse me…” he apologized. Hastily pulling it out, he hit the answer button and brought the black device up to his ear. “Yes.”

“What…?! How can that be?!” The chief detective shouted. Grimacing, he ended the call. “The Phantom Thief’s corpse seems to be missing from the morgue!” the middle-aged man growled.

“Didn’t your men check the death certificate and the carrier documents?!” The police director snapped.

“Yes, but… um…” The chief detective winced.

“Give me a straight answer!” The police director demanded.

“Perhaps this Phantom Thief tricked up with his bizarre powers!” The chief detective stammered, lowering his head. “maybe he just made us think he had died…”

“Who made those documents…?” The police director roared. “Who was there at the scene of the suicide?!”

Tucked within his office, Shido was dealing with his own host of problems.

“Find a way to stop a change of heart! Don’t we have Isshiki Wakaba’s research materials?!” The politician demanded. Rising from his plush chair, he glared down at the city below his office. “And what about Akechi?! Have you found out where they hid that damn useless brat?!”

Sneering, he turned and glared at both of the men standing stiff on the other side of his desk.

“What are you waiting for- an invitation?! Get on with it!”

Practically trembling in their shoes, the two men hastily nodded before booking out of the room, seeking to get as far away from the seething Shido as possible. Unseen by any, Shido’s Shadow glared down at the images of his nemesis and his traitorous pawn.

“I’ll erase any who gets in my way… just as I’ve always done!” The shadow promised darkly.

Out in the front building of the prosecutor’s office, Sae found herself hounded by a group of grim-faced detectives on her way out, all three men glared sharply at her. So, they’d already figured it out… She was one of the last people to see Joker alive, and even talked with him. Considering the former SIU director had made a call directly to her, as well as the small commotion her demand for interrogation had caused, it had only been a matter of time.

“Where is the Phantom Thief’s body?” The senior detective demanded.

“Phantom Thief? Body…?” she asked, easily keeping up the façade of being perplexed. Part of it was genuine, it was hard to tell if these men were part of the conspiracy, or simply unwitting pawns.

Officially, she was the last to have seen Akira alive, and her next course of action would determine who took the fall for Akira’s missing body. She’d likely find herself in some hot water no matter who she pointed her finger at. Did she be the marty and take the blame herself, or do as Akechi insisted and reveal his involvement?

“This isn’t the time for games!” The senor detective growled.

“Um, I really don’t know what you’re speaking of… did something happen to the suspect’s body?” She asked. Though she had no formal training, Sae knew how to play a role convincingly. She knew full well what they were talking about.

“You were the last one to see him alive, and the body’s missing from the morgue,” The detective barked. as such, you are our primary suspect.”

Taking a deep breath, Sae looked the man dead in the eye. “You better take good care of him, Akira,” She thought, making her decision. Akechi had already told her not to take the fall for him. After that broadcast, Shido would know he’d betrayed him, there was no point in covering for him. This would hopefully clear her of most, if not all suspicion.

“While it is true that I was one of the last to see him, after I left, Akechi came to visit the suspect,” She said. “I talked with him in the hall, and even showed him the suspect’s phone- I kept the device in question after we parted.”

Wait, so Akechi was the last one to see the suspect alive?” The senior detective flailed, genuinely caught off guard.

“Yes, and now that I think back on it, he was acting, odd. There was something about his words and actions that seemed off.” She explained. Placing a hand on her chin, she pretended to think, then let her eyes widen as she looked at the detective with false shock. “actually, everything after that is a blur, I don’t remember what happened, and the suspect’s phone went missing, too.

“The day before the arrest, I did receive a calling card… No, could I have done something…”

Faking a sharp pain in his head, Sae dropped to her knees. The senior detective dropped to her side.

“Goddamnit!” The junior detective cursed.

“When was the last time you contacted Akechi?” The senior detective demanded. “have you seen him since?!”

“Y-yes, actually, I spoke with him in person a few days ago,” She bit her lip. “I haven’t been able to contact him in the last few days, not since a day before the sudden broadcast I think.”

“The Phantom Thief! He’s alive!” The senior detective barked, getting up.

“Even so, just how the hell did he escape from the station…?” The junior detective asked. “suppose Akechi did help smuggle him out, how did they get past all the officers?”

“It doesn’t matter! We must capture him!” The senior detective snapped. “We can’t let this get out! Not only was the suicide announcement false, but he got away on top of that!” Turning his attention back to her, he crossed his arms. “I’m sorry, but we’ll have to interrogate you… as a key witness. Akechi was your partner, and you were in charge of the investigation, you know the two best.”

“…I understand, lead the way.” She said simply.

It was up to the thieves now, her partner’s safety and the fate of the nation were now resting on those kids’ shoulders.

Alone in an empty Leblanc, Sojiro watched the news.

“Police officers are said to be currently reviewing the facts of the Phantom Thieves’ notice and…”

He heard the jingle of the bell as the door opened. Waiting until the heavy footfalls had stopped, the older man glanced over his shoulder. Several men in dark suits stood by the door, faces grim and posture anything but casual. If they weren't detectives sent by one of Shido’s lackeys, they worked for the man directly.

So, that was how he wanted to play, ehh?

“Welcome,” He said calmly.

Ignoring him, the man at the head turned to face his goons. “Search the place.” He commanded sharply.

If they expected resistance, well, he didn’t give them such satisfaction. The grunt men got to work searching every nook and cranny they could find for evidence that wasn’t there. Leaning forward in his seat, the head honcho walked up to him.

“You’re Sojiro Sakura, yes?” The guy asked. As if he didn’t already know.

“Yeah, and who the hell’re you?” He shot back.

“Where are the Phantom Thieves?” The man demanded. Sojiro had to raise an eyebrow at the sheer audacity of that. Seems the Akechi boy had tipped them off quite a bit.

“Oh, you mean those guys they’ve been talking about on TV?” Sojiro answered, playing dumb as he rested an arm on the back of his chair. He’d worked in the government for several decades before retiring, he knew how to play that game.

“Don’t play dumb with me.” The guy growled, trying to crank up the intimidation. He even slammed his hand down on the bar counter to make himself seem threatening.

Sojiro would have found it amusing, funny even, under different circumstances. One that didn’t have his head on the line. Or the head of his kids.

“This is obstruction of business, you know.” Sojiro pointed out instead.

“…We’ve investigated this thoroughly.” The guy replied, crossing his arms.

“Is this the only way you do things?” He asked, practically taunting the man.

Before the guy to speak, another man ran over. “They're not upstairs!”

Did these people seriously take those kids for that big a lot of fools, even with Akechi among them? Especially with that Akechi kid with them?

The boss guy grabbed him by the collar. “Where are the Phantom Thieves?” He demanded in a low growl.

Undisturbed by the show of aggression, Sojiro calmly shook his head. “If you’re not a customer, I’m gonna have to ask you to leave.”

“He’s an accomplice. Take him away.” The man said, roughly letting go of his collar with a shove.

Sojiro continued to not resist, even as one of the goons dragged him up and cuffed his hands to the small of his back painfully. He smirked at the way they glared at him. The less he resisted, the harder it would be for them to paint him as an aggressor later down the line, if for some reason they found a way to prosecute him as an aid to the Phantom Thieves.

Still, where his fingers starting to feel numb? Trying to pull away from the guy holding his arms in place, he scowled at the big shot guy leading this whole charade.

“Don’t get cocky. You’re just some useless criminal's lapdog. Justice isn’t on your side.” He found himself saying.

“The notice put forth by these so-called Phantom Thieves is absolutely groundless. It is nothing more than a wicked terrorist act, aimed at obstructing the elections.” The video of Shido said. “What we need now is a powerful, unyielding leader. I am willing to risk my life to fight them.”

Akira found himself snorting at that. Says the guy who makes children kill for you. And orchestrated hit jobs in a police station.

“Which one is right: Shido or the Phantom Thieves?” He heard an office working man lament.

“I hear what Shido-san is saying, but is it true?” another person, a housewife, is questioning.

The public was finding itself not so easily swayed to Shido’s side. It was proof that Shido didn’t have complete control over the people that he wanted. All they needed to do was change his heart and the people would finally see the black sin that had been lurking just out of sight.

“I speak now to those who call themselves Phantom Thieves. Your actions are gravely serious crimes.” Shido said. “You are rebelling against the laws of this country and unnecessarily causing alarm among its citizens, I call on you to surrender yourselves at once and apologize to the people of this proud nation.”

The Phantom Thieves cut into a live broadcast signal, didn’t they? They’re crazy…” One passerby scoffed. He sounded almost impressed with their boldness.

“But don’t you think that Shido looks like a criminal too?” The girl next to him pointed out.

“I don’t know what to believe anymore…” The office worker bemoaned.

“I hope they catch them soon…” The housewife said. If only she knew who it was standing a few feet away  
.  
“If there’s one thing Shido ever truly prided himself on, it was his ability to charm others with that charisma of his.” Akechi murmured, tugging his hood down further. “it’s there, right beside fooling others into doing his dirty work.”

Haru bumped the brunette boy’s shoulder in a display of comfort. He returned the gesture with a grateful smile. Akira was surprised to see the two so close. It had only been a few short hours.

“That bastard Shido’s trying’ to act all calm, but he’s prolly freakin’ out on the inside.” Ryuji sneered.

“’Apologize’? Quite the funny joke.” Yusuke scoffed in agreement.

“After all you've done, who’s the real criminal here?” Haru mused darkly. The grip Akechi had on her hand was tight.

The group turned from the plaza to continue making their way to the diet building. So that was Shido’s resolve? There was some grim satisfaction in the fact he didn’t buckle under the pressure. But the man wasn't the one who should be presenting himself as the victim, not after the suffering of the people whose lived he’d ruined in pursuit of power.

The diet was no less crowded when they arrived. Masses of bodies were parked right outside the gate, and while several of them were reporting hunting for the next big scoop, an equal amount of people were ordinary citizens.

“A lot of people are gathered here…” Haru observed.

“Our calling card has had a tremendous effect,” Yusuke said.

“I’m really proud of that one!” Futaba boasted, puffing out her chest.

“All they’re doin’ is makin’ noise though…” Ryuji pointed out, shoulders sagging.

“Seriously.” Ann agreed glumly. “They should just go home and sleep.”

“Even after what happened, not many people want to see Shido have a change of heart…” Makoto sighed. “What we’re about to do is just, right…?”

“I’m surprised, Ni- Makoto, hearing such hesitation,” Akechi said. “justice isn’t always following the will of the masses, as history oftentimes shows. Sometimes, to make a change, you need to be the bad guy,”

“Akechi’s right. Once we change Shido’s heart and he confesses, they’ll all see.” Akira agreed.

“There you have it.” Morgana piped in.

“you all have a point.” Makoto conceded, smiling.

“Hey, look over there.” Morgana jabbed a paw towards a familiar face.

Ohya wandered through the crowd. “To think he’d actually go after Shido Masayoshi… Youth is incredible. This has me excited as well.” The older woman snickered. “The boy really keeps the news rolling in.”

“She doesn’t notice we’re here… right? Morgana asked. “That keen journalist nose is a force to be reckoned with.” Seconds later. Mishima run’s over to the edge of the crowd. “Whoa! Why’s Mishima Here?! Man, that kid’s impressive…”

“The Phantom Thieves are just.” The normally meek and quiet boy proclaimed. “I guarantee it.”

Seeing the devotion of those whose lives they touched, changed even, lightened the mood. It gave them all a boost to their resolve.

“Heh… Now that’s what I like to hear.” Ryuji chuckled.

“There may not be very many of them, but we have to cherish our fans.” Morgana purred. “Let’s go change Shido’s heart.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My plan is, unlike the protagonist, Akechi will have a unique persona for each confidant, with a standard for and second awakening. The next chapter will be the empress reveal.
> 
> As for his social links, their mostly the same as Akira's, except for Shiho- temperance, and Kaoru- Sun. I felt those two would be fitting for those arcana both as characters, and for people Akechi would interact with. Also, because I'm partly salty Kaoru never got a portrait art despite being an important member of Iwai's confidant. Yes, I'm still salty over that, and am even saltier after seeing it persist in royal, bah.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki's true form is revealed, and everyone has a dance with death.  
> Oh, and I do Ryuji right.

When the distorted ripples subsided, and the world shifted back into place, the thieves found themselves standing outside the diet entrance leading into Shido’s palace. All of them were dressed to the nines in their metaverse attire, as to be expected. It would have been far more shocking to have entered the palace in their regular clothes.

Akechi felt the light glances and curious looks of his teammates as they noticed the brunette detective was clad in his princely justice uniform instead of Loki’s dark ensemble. The detective felt at peace dressed in the soft whites and pale grays; Robin was more than the pretty mask he’d tried to use to fool the thieves- Robin Hood was the representation of Akechi’s long-buried sense of justice, and the desire to protect those around him. More than that, though, for some strange reason, Loki was still unstable. He didn’t trust himself to be able to properly restrain the other persona in Shido’s presence.

In the back of his mind, Akechi could feel a familiar presence, albeit slightly different. It was the same gentle budding of awareness he’d felt back before he awoke to Robin Hood. Now that Akechi had forged the empress confidant with Noir, another facet of himself had taken shape; another mask waiting to show itself to the world. The detective answered the call without hesitation or a moment’s pause. The surprised call of his companions were soft whispers in his ears as he stepped forward, instinct guiding him forward to complete the last thing he needed to do before facing Shido.

Akechi was vaguely cognizant of the Phantom Thieves chasing after him as he darted through the masses of masked puppets, the people of Shido’s cognition. That awareness of them slipped away into the ether as his senses zeroed in on his target. Just up ahead, a shadow walked its patrol route, unaware of the predator approaching. Akechi heard Skull’s voice shouting somewhere on the edge of his awareness as the brunette leaped forward, Hands finding a perch on the shadow’s broad shoulders as his body swung forward. For a single heart-beat, the detective’s body was suspended in the air, body held up by the hands anchored to the shadow below him. One hand flew from the shadow’s shoulder to its mask. With a single tug, it ripped free.

Tumbling forward through the air, Akechi watched as the shadow dissolved and reformed into its true form. He landed light and graceful on his feet, like a cat. The fae-esk shadow glared down at him with luminous eyes, the rapier in its right hand glinting coldly in the light of the extravagant chandeliers. Akechi ignored the outward hostility in favor of basking in the rush and warmth of his new persona taking shape. The detective took hold of his beaked mask in both hands.

If it is power you seek, power enough to defend friends and life, then call out my name. I will lead you to a glorious victory, in the name of god my power shall be yours, and none shall stand in our way.

“Arc!” He cried, the name of his new persona was light and heat on his tongue.

The mask he pulled free from his face was new, foreign in his fingers as power surged. The process was painless, the mask in his hands coming free without tearing skin in the process, unlike his first awakening. A fire ignited against Akechi’s skin, licking up and down his limps, warming his skin as his clothes changed shape to reflect this new power, behind him, the detective’s new persona emerged proudly from the glittering azure flames.

Arc was a proud figure behind Akechi, her slim figure clad in silvery-platinum and deep midnight blue. Plate-mail covered her arms and shoulders, sheets of it clothed her from the waist up like an iron bodice. Plain-mail boots peeked out from the silver-embroidered hem of her midnight skirt. Twirling delicately in her hands was the body of a silvery lance, the head elegant and sharp and poised for battle. Her pale face was framed by more silvery metal, waves of golden hair float behind her like ribbons, curled and glittering like sunlight.

“Arc, dance,” The command left Akechi’s lips like a whisper.

At his command, Arc charged forward. Her body moved like a dancer; powerful and graceful as the head of her lance shot out at the shadow. Metal rang against metal as the blow was parried by the shadow’s repair. Before the fae-creature could retaliate, Arc’s voice rang out in a war cry as she unleashed a powerful bless attack. Stunned, the shadow was unable to defend itself as one of Arc’s iron-clad heels smashed into its head, crown tumbling along the ground. Without pause, Arc thrust her lance through the shadow’s chest, ending the battle for good. The body of the shadow turned to ash around her lance, leaving Arc standing proud and victorious before returning to his mask.

“How elegant, such beauty and ferocity!” Fox breathed with rapture. The voices of his companions brought Akechi back to the present.

“Hmm, so our other wildcard has awoken to a new persona,” Mona hummed thoughtfully.

“Wow, so even Crow has female personas too, and that one was really beautiful!” Panther cheered.

“Yeah, but, uhh, has Crow noticed what he’s dressed in?” Skull asked.

At the blond’s words, Akechi looked down. A horrified scream nearly tore itself free of the detective’s throat. The brunette found himself clad in what could loosely be described as bikini armor; a chest plate that was cut off to expose his collar and abdomen, armor pieces that were low on his hips coupled with a ‘skirt’ that fluttered down to his ankles, all paired with armored heeled boots that went up to his thighs.

With a self-conscious yelp, Akechi tossed his arms around his body in some attempt at modesty, iron gauntlets clanking against his armor. Heat radiating from his face beneath his new mask.

Akira and the others raced after Crow as the brunet tore through the ballroom, ducking and twisting out of the way of the cognitive patrons as he hunted something down. In the distance, A shadow, unaware of their presence, appeared in sight, and Crow seemed to zero in on the foe.

“Damn it Crow, hold up!” Skull shouted.

The blonde words fell on deaf ears as the brunette lunged. Momentum carried his body into the air, hands gripping the shadow’s shoulders for support before tearing off the shadow’s mask. It’s body dissolved and reformed into Oberon. The emperor shadow glared down at Crow as the other rose to his feet. Grabbing his knife, Akira prepared to run to his companion’s side when Crow brought hands up to his mask.

“Arc!” Crow cried, yanking a new mask from his face, eyes burning a familiar telltale gold.

Azure fire consumed the detective, encasing him in its blue tounges. The fire flared out behind the brunette, a form starting to take shape beyond the blue inferno. The flame danced and surged, then rippled as a persona emerged from their blue glow. The female form was dressed in gleaming plate-mail armor polished to a platinum sheen, a skirt of midnight blue flaring out from her wast to flutter around the ankles of her low-heeled boots. A band of platinum framed her delicate, pale face as tresses of blond curls tumbled down the persona’s back like a golden waterfall. In her hands was the silver body of a lance, twirling the weapon that was long as the persona was tall like it was a baton.

“Arc, dance,” Crow commanded.

At her master’s command, Arc’s body darted forward, the head of her lance pointed at Oberon’s chest. The shadow parried it with his rapier, face contorted into a grimace as he struggled against the unyielding body of Arc’s lance. Before the shadow could get in an attack, Arc let out a powerful war cry, blessed light tearing into the fairy king’s body. Dazed, Oberson was unable to defend himself from Arc’s reinforced heel as it smashed into the shadow’s head. Crumpling to the ground, the fairy was helpless to stop Arc’s lance from piercing it through the chest. The shadow let out a pathetic cry as it disintegrated around the lance.

Speechless, they all watched as Arc once more became a mask. Crow stood motionless, clad in silvery armor. Eventually, the silence was broken.

“How elegant, such beauty and ferocity!” Fox breathed, voice dripping with rapture. The artist’s eyes were alive and sparkling, a new painting already sketched in his head.

“Hmm, so our other wildcard has awoken to a new persona,” Mona hummed thoughtfully.

“Wow, so even Crow as female personas too, and that one was really beautiful!” Panther cheered, bouncing on her heels.

“Yeah, but, uhh, has Crow noticed what he’s dressed in?” Skull pointed out, vaguely gesturing to the brunette.

In response to Skull’s observation, the detective looked down to take in his new look. Crow’s expression shifted to mute horror as he realized what his new costume was. Flushing bright red from mortification, the brunette yelped and hastily tried to cover himself in some attempt at modesty. Chuckling at the bashful display, Akira sauntered up to him.

“Want to cover up with my coat?” He offered, smirking.

Crow huffed, cheeks stained scarlet behind his new mask, and shook his head. “That won’t be necessary, I’ll change back in just a moment.”

As if on cue, Crow’s form was engulfed by fire, leaving him back in Robin Hood’s outfit. His keen senses informed the raven that the persona, Ark, was of the empress arcana. So, that was how Crow gained personas.

“That new one makes three now,” Queen observed.

“Yes, and with it, my suspicions have been confirmed, Crow added.

“Oh? So you know how you acquire new personas?” Noir inquired.

Crow nodded. “Yes, unlike Joker, who acquire strength from his bonds in the form of power that is then channeled into the various personas he fuses, the power I acquire from my bonds takes the shape of actual personas. It was what happened with Robin Hood, and what happened now with Arc, the empress.” The brunette explained.

“So confidants let you awaken to new personas, eh?” Mona repeated. “and it also seems like your form changes along with your persona.” The not-cat added slyly.

Crow blushed. “So it seems, I have no control over what I look like,”

“Well, it wasn’t like your armor was anything really indecent, it’s about as sexy as Panther catsuit.” Oracle pointed out.

“Yeah, it gets tolerable over time!” Panther agreed, pouting at the memory. “I mean, at the start, even I was embarrassed when I realized what I was wearing.”

Akira remembered it; how after collapsing from shoving it to Kamoshida’s shadow, Ann had crossed her arms over her chest in sheer embarrassment. That seemed to make Crow feel better, he cracked out a small smile and nodded. If this was an omen of good fortune, then they were sure to win against Shido and succeed in stealing his heart.

“Alright everyone, let’s head out!” He ordered.

Hopping over to one of their safe room, it was a short jaunt through the central passage to the assembly hall. Crow blinked in surprise to see the heavy wooden doors open. It made sense, Shido would never have trusted Akechi enough to let the brunette get close enough to the location of his treasure. The man probably didn’t trust anyone enough to let them get that close. Hitting the elevator button, it was a short wait until the car dropped down and the doors opened wide.

Filing into the elevator, the air was livid with tension. This was their long-awaited fight, both for Akechi and for himself. Both had been hurt greatly by Shido’s selfishness, trampled upon by his ambitious greed, and left to suffer by his pride. Soon enough all 9 of them were shuffling out into the representative’s chamber. The partial gaze of the imposing daruma doll greeting them with a menacing stare.

Shido’s shadow stood with his back to them as they ran past the many rows of desks down to the center podium.

“Shido!” Skull snarled, going for the bald man’s attention.

“So, Phantom Thieves, you’ve finally arrived,” Shido said languidly, turning around casually to face them. “If you have a complaint, I’m willing to listen.”

As if. Shido wasn’t the type of man who listened to the concerns of others, let alone do something about their concerns or complaints. He only cared about his own self-interest. That was how the bastard had gotten this far in the first place.

“Just like you listened to Crow?” Fox growled. “you are a despicable man, making your own son kill for you!”

Shido’s piercing gaze fell upon their white member. Crow remained resilient despite the way Shido seemed to tear him apart under such unrelenting eyes. He refused to do more than hunch his shoulders in the presence of the man who had done nothing less than ruin his life.

“Hmph, I had a feeling it was something like that. He always did remind me too much of that woman.” Shido sneered. “I also know why you approached me in the first place. It was to in hopes of trapping me, correct?” The man scoffed. “You were sharp, brat, I’ll give you that much, but you were nothing more than a kid in the end. All I needed to do was throw you some praise here and there to keep you in line.”

The smile Shido wore was nothing less than cruel and malicious as he shook his head. “My plan always was to dispose of you as soon as I became prime minister.”

“What?!” Skull seethed.

Stepping to Crow’s side, both Panther and Noir hugged an arm around the detective protectively. They scowled at Shido with the fierceness of a friend ready to tear something apart.

“I could never keep someone with such intimate knowledge of my past alive.” Shido’s hard expression softened with a small chuckle. “What an “ace” detective. He was standing beside me all this time, yet never could see through my plans.”

Crow wilted. It was true, though his willingness following Shido’s orders wasn’t of his own volition, as they had all come to learn. Despite arguably being the closest to Shido, the brunette had failed to see that his supposed plan of revenge was no longer a secret. Shido had used Akechi’s trama and insecurity to puppet him along, ordering the brunette to kill those in his way until it was time to dispose of him.

“Well, no matter, he’ll die here with you lot all the same.” Shido hummed with a nasty sneer. “Though, it would have saved me quite a bit of effort if you’d just kicked the bucket back then.”

“How could you…?!” Panther snapped.

“You stole my mom’s research… and you took her life! Then you made me suffer, thinking it was my fault!” Oracle screamed.

“Everything you’ve done has been for your own selfish gains!” Noir seethed. “Not only did you kill my father, but you tried to pin the crime on my friends and I…! I will never forgive you!”

Shido sighed, as if pitying them. “Sacrifices are inevitable in the path of reform.” He said, as if that was any consolation for their pain and suffering. “I only require that the foolish entrust themselves to their superiors. I shall guide them.”

“The hell makes you think you’re so much better than everyone else?!” Skull shouted.

“You never would have been able to make it this far without Crow’s help!” Panther added.

“…Panther,” Crow murmured. Her grip on his shoulder tightened.

“He only appeared because of the expectations God held for me.” Shido scoffed. “Moreover, it was thanks to me that Akechi was able to properly use his powers to begin with.”

Akira felt his anger reach a boiling point from those callus words. Properly use his powers? Shido was doing nothing more than helping abuse a power that was meant to help those around him grow, stagnating it in it’s twisted and corrupt stasis, fueling it with pain and solitude to keep it corrupt. Crow’s power could have recovered, could have bloomed into the noble and healing gift it had become for the raven, if only he’d had others there to help him recover. Shido’s gal to claim he was helping Akechi use his broken powers properly made the raven sick.

“The “changing of hearts” that you’ve been doing… was nothing more than provoking the public.” Shido continued. The man’s high and mighty attitude was becoming infuriating, even for someone as mild-tempered as Akira.

“How selfish!” Fox snapped. “you were unable to win by honest means, so you used foul tricks to ascend the political ladder!”

“A cruel person like you has no right to stand leading the citizens of this country.” Queen criticized. “you’re nothing but a criminal who rose above others by climbing a staircase of sin.”

“The life of the nation as opposed to those of a few sacrifices… There can be no comparison.” Shido rebutted sharply. “The ignorant masses only care about their own personal happiness. I am merely granting that for them.” Shido smirked at them all cruelty. “That is the social reform that only I, as the one chosen by God, can enact!”

“I can’t believe you look down on everyone else so harshly…” Noir said darkly.

“Yes, it is only the delusions of a man who made a child murder for his own self-benefit.” Fox murmured harshly.

“I’d certainly never accept a leader who makes a teenager murder people!” Panther spat. “you keep saying it’s for the country, but all of us here know it’s all for yourself!” Panther pulled away from Crow and stomped closer to the podium. “Nobody would wish for something like that!”

“Nobody?” Shido sneered.

The bald man away from them and stepped out of sight for a moment. Soon enough, he reappeared, being raised up to the upper podium- the speaker’s spot, the hum of the lift buzzing in the air. He smirked down at them, as though looking down at others somehow awarded him the power to degrade others as he pleased.

“Then why was I chosen? Why are they surrendering the seat of prime minister to me?” Shido asked smugly. “Everyone denies the value of hard work these days. Instead, they seek to effortlessly gain wealth. That is why I must reestablish this mighty country. One that does not waver… One that others bow to.”

"Mighty, my ass! That’s just a crooked country made by a crook!” Skull shot back.

“We cannot let you do this. You are a disgrace to Japan.” Fox agreed. “hence, we will take your deranged heart.”

“Shido… father…” Crow growled, stepping away from Noir. He squeezed her hand once, for comfort and strength. “I may have let you beat me into submission, following along these last few years. But no longer, I finally have the strength I need to end you, once and for all.”

Their hands fell to their weapons, 9 sets of eyes glaring up at their foe, bodies poised ready for battle.

“Hmph, Those who disobey me must be eliminated.” Shido declared, slamming his hands down against the podium. “However… it would be a waste to kill those who are actually capable. I will allow you to choose between life or death one last time. Devote your power to my social reform. I will give you anything you want, be it wealth or status.”

Akira tasted copper on his tongue. After everything, did he truly think they would submit to him? Just how egotistical could the bastard be?

“No!” Akira growled.

“There’s no way we’d follow you!” Mona snapped.

“No matter how many times you ask, our answer’s not gonna change!” Panther rebutted.

“It seems the ignorant masses are doomed to remain as such…” Shido shook his head. Lifting it back up, the balding man glared down at them focused on Crow in particular. “I thought you were smarter than that. This is unfortunate… I have no choice but to eliminate you all.” Pushing his amber-tinted glasses back up his nose, he continued. “A small leak will sink a great ship. Great nations have fallen to such leniency.”

Standing up straight, Shido growled. “I will not make such incautious mistakes.”

The previously empty seats in the room were suddenly filled by the applauding bodies of like-faced men in drab suits. They clapped as though applauding a great speech. Everyone was caught off guard by the sudden appearance of so many cognitions. What the hell?

“There are tones of them!” Mona cried.

“Since when…?!” Queen gasped.

Shido hushed the crowd with a brush of his hands, smiling proudly. Chuckling, the room began rumbling and shaking as it began changing. The podium shot up as panels on either side of them began closing. Overhead, the giant daruma doll watching over them gained its second eye.

Fox acted first, leaping up to the nearest platform. He motioned for them to follow. Right, if they didn’t get up there, they’d be stuck down here with whatever shadows Shido’s shadow made spawn. In a few short jumps, everyone regrouped on the highest platform. Black, violet, and red-stained wood paneling made up the stage for their hardest fight yet.

“Let me make myself clear,” Shido said, drawing their attention to him. “Do not think of me as you did my foolish son who acted so brashly.” He marched confidently up the submitting golden figures forming a staircase to a gaudy golden throne among the hailing masses of more golden bodies.

You little…!’ Skull growled.

“Die…” Shido said, with a swish of his cape the shadowy mist clinging to him dissipated, revealing a different from. The black bodysuit beneath his crimson short-cape and the mask outfitted with spikes made him look like a supervillain. “Without further delay!”

Crossing his arms, Shido stood atop a beast made up of those golden bodies. It was all ridiculously gaudy, truly an eyesore. Its name was the cherry on top.

“Our Leader n’ Crow have gone through shit ‘cause of you. It’s on!” Skull barked.

Shido sat down upon his throne as the golden lion roared, paws smashing into the ground as it reared up for battle.

“There is no need for thieves in my mighty country…” The shadow warned. “Only myself and the ones who revere me are needed.”

“Risking our lives to stop rotten adults… That’s why we’re Phantom Thieves!” Oracle murmured in their ears.

Staring down the beast of human sacrifice, Akira gripped his knife tight. Time for some much-needed payback. Perfect time, too, it had just cooled to lukewarm.

Joker started off with a debilitate, slashing all of the beast’s stats down low. Skull followed suit with a matarukaja to boost everyone’s attack. The perfect compliment when their enemy had weakened defenses. Aiming to get in a good amount of damage, Fox darted as the golden beast aiming to get in an attack. The physical attack he was hoping to get in with Kamu Susanoo was nullified. Damn, so the beast of human sacrifice was unaffected by such attacks. Well, they had just as many magical attackers.

The beast swiped at Queen and Noir respectively, swatting the former with large paws and colliding with the latter’s ax. Acting a third time, dekunda was used to nullify debilitate. Hissing in annoyance, Akira reapplied the debuff, this time with Queen getting it a freidyne followed by Crow and Panther tag-teaming with an agidyne and kaogaon respectively. The beast growled and aimed to swat the pair away. Swiping at the two of them, the damage they might have taken was reduced.

Growling, another dekunda happened, removing the debilitate once again. Gritting his teeth, Joker forwent another debilitate, instead opting for a mind charge. Queen picked up the slack by using marakukaja to buff their defense. Mona managed to eke out some healing to the few who’d sustained damage, Followed by Panther getting in another agidyne.

The golden beast reared up, rushing at them with a heavy swipe of its paws. Beast King’s Wrath. The attack sent Skull crashing into Fox, clipping both Crow and Queen, and hitting Panther. The rest, sans Joker who’s persona nullified physical damage, managed to dodge in time. Before they could properly recover from the attack, dekaja was used to erase their stat buffs. This was going to be a long, annoying fight. Shido was the first opponent to actively mess with their stat buffs and debuffs.

Mona and Queen managed to heal the team, giving Skull and the raven an opportunity and the vitality to apply another debilitate and matarukaja. The fighting was drawn out to a crawl with both sides chiseling away at each other's stamina. For those more inclined to hit hard with physical moves like Skull, Fox, and Noir, their attackers weren’t doing as much damage as the trio were capable of, having a lower magic stat and all.

Crow primarily relied on Sentai Robin Hood, using the bless and almighty attacks the gallant rough had. Only once did the brunette call upon a different persona; he’d switched to Arc to use the persona’s skill ‘vanguard’ and save Noir from being knocked out in one blow, but the armored persona barely managed to withstand the attack. It was understandable- Arc was a newly awakened persona, low leveled compared to any of the others despite managing to take out that Oberon earlier.

It appeared as though Crow was doing all in his power not to call upon Loki for some reason. Deep in the middle of battle didn’t offer Joker the time or opportunity to think about it.

Changing personas, Joker managed to lob a particularly powerful Psiodyn at Shido and his beast of human sacrifice. Unfortunately, that left the raven wide-open for an attack, no longer being totally immune to physical attacks. Before those claws could make contact with him, Crow jumped in the beast’s path and blocked those vicious claws with his beam sword.

With a hiss as he struggled against the lion-beast’s imposing physical might, Crow’s clothes shifted to Loki’s colors. With a cry, the brunette shouted the persona’s name, letting the black and white trickster unleash it’s powerful almighty attack, Lavetiaen. Sucking in a sharp breath, so quiet and Joker almost missed it, the brunette changed back to Robin Hood.

At some point during the fight, Joker stopped bothering with debilitate; it was a waste of sp to constantly reapply the debuff every other turn. It was far more beneficial to pour that energy into hurling high-tier magic attacks at the beast and its rider. Even if none of the attacks connected with Shido directly.

Joker found himself wanting to scream when Shido started using makarakarn on top of dekuja to stall their progress. The magic wall spell made it so that at least one of their spells was wasted on breaking it whenever applied. It was especially annoying to deal with considering magic attacks were the only way to hit the damn thing.

The raven felt real damn elated when the beast of human sacrifices nearly keeled over. They’d finally managed to chip away at a third of its health. The small victory was soured when Shido began chuckling like the sentai villain he was dressed like.

“You lowlifes!” Shido sneered. “I hope you understand what it means to turn your back on me!”

“I don’t wanna understand!” Oracle snapped.

“Yeah, you effen bastard, like we give ah’ shit!” Skull added.

“…Then you shall perish!” The shadow howled. “You shall regret these foolish actions against me… in the afterlife!”

Leaping into the air, the beast of human sacrifice morphed into a second stage as a pair of gold wings sprouted from its back to keep it airborne. Those wings were actual, normal feathered wings in shape, not made up of interlocking bodies like the rest of the beast.

“It changed?!” Oracle squeaked.

“I will destroy you!” Shido growled from his throne.

This new form was christened with the name ‘wings of human sacrifice’. Joker snorted at the ridiculous name. What was next, the chariot, of vessel?

Despite being almost exact in shape, the only real difference between them being the wings, the wings of human sacrifice was immune to magic attacks. Fox’s bufudyne crumbled on contact, leaving not even a patch of frost. The flying beast seemed to scoff at the failure. Reapplying the debilitate and extending the matarukaja, they shifted gears to physical attacks. Panther and Mona, who lacked or had very weak physical skills, became full-time healers.

Not that there was a lack of damage to heal. The wings of human sacrifice was even more deadly than it’s beast counterpart. The flying lion-monster used only magic attacks, meaning that it could abuse any of their weaknesses. Several times one or more of them were knocked down thanks to a nasty spell. Joker managed to avoid this by swapping personas often, shuffling around what elements he was weak too. Some of his personas didn’t even have elemental weaknesses.

During the latter half of the fight, when it learned that Crow was weak to curse attacks, wings of human sacrifice seemed to zero in on the white thief entirely. They managed to capitalize on this; Crow holding up most of the golden beast’s attention while the rest were free to unload to their fullest extent. Though it was concerned that it was focusing almost solely on just one person. Was Shido trying to make an example out of the brunette?

Eventually, they managed to chisel off another third of the mount’s health. It was easier, physical attacks tended to have a higher damage output, and this time the wings of human sacrifice wasn't spamming a protection spell.

“To think you’d manage this much…!” Shadow Shido growled, grimacing. “Why won’t you stop resisting…!? The nation I strive for… is the ultimate realization of the public’s happiness!”

Once again, the beast changed form. This time, instead of a lion or some derivative, the embodiment of Shido’s human sacrifice became some pyramid-like structure, still made up of countless golden bodies overlapping one another. Shido was nowhere to be seen.

“It changed again?!” Oracle cried. Her sentiment was shared with the rest of the thieves.

“The weak must be sacrificed for the sake of grand ideals! That is the natural order of this world!” Shido spat.

This last one was called the tomb of human sacrifice. Joker took some small bit of satisfaction in having come close to guessing the name of this third form. It was no less gaudy looking than it’s two previous forms, and he couldn’t wait to smash it open like a pinata.

Going through the motions of applying debilitate and reapplying the matarukaja, it was a pleasant surprise to find this form didn’t resist anything. All of them were able to pitch in, hurling magic and physical attacks at the lumbering golden construct. Their gleeful rampage was cut short when it became apparent Crow was being targeted exclusively by the tomb. Very rarely were the tombs cannons point at the rest of them, and then it was only ever to force the thieves back, effectively keeping the detective cut off from them.

Despite being completely cut off from support, Crow’s years of working solo helped him managed to hold his own quite well. When the white-clad detective wasn’t unleashing his hard-learned skills on them, the thieves could clearly see and appreciate the skills Crow had learned from years of fighting battles alone. The distance was too much for even Mona, the most proficient healer in their ranks, to reach. Despite that, Crow managed to carefully manage his stamina.

Suddenly, the battle had shifted from an all-out brawl to a race against an unseen clock at this point, and Crow’s stamina was the timer. Wearing down on the tomb of human sacrifice’s health, they’d chipped most of it away when canons stuck out on all sides. Unlike its usual attacks, these remained out, the barrels glowing as it gathered energy for what would surely be a devastating attack.

“It’s charging up!” Oracle warned. “be careful!”

Heeding their navigator’s warning, the thieves sans their trapped member converged on the tomb. Hailing down attack after attack, they managed to whittle the construct’s health down to just a faint sliver, but not before the charging cannon fired. Pyramid Blast left them all sprawling on the ground. Somehow, Crow had also managed to survive the attack, though the brunette was hanging on only by sheer force of will. Leaning heavily on his weapon to stay upright, it was obvious their newest member was just as battered and beaten as the tumb that kept him trapped. Letting their healers get in a few dia and media skills in, they converged once again on the tomb, this time clawing away at the last of its health.

With one final hit from his persona’s vorpal blade, the tomb was no more. Rushing to Crow’s side, their white member nearly collapsed against him as the tomb crumbled into nothingness, leaving the defeated beast and Shido behind. Leaping from the lifeless corpse, the representation of the masses power, Shido sneered.

“Useless, ignorant masses!” The bald man growled.

Shido stalked towards them without cast even a single glance back at the deteriorating form of human sacrifice.

“It seems even thieves should not be taken lightly if they come in great enough numbers…” He growled.

“Once you’re losin’, you’re puttin’ all the blame on the masses, huh!?” Skull jabbed, leering at the older man.

Shido scoffed, ignoring the blond. His critical eye turned on Joker, who was still helping hold Crow up.

“So, you’re the one unifying them…” He mused darkly.

“A touching reunion, isn’t it?” Panther Jeered.

“The next time you crush a foe, I suggest you do it in a more certain manner,” Fox said.

“Not that there’ll be a next time for you!” Oracle interjected.

“Hm?” Shido halted in place, squinting at Joker almost critically. “you… …you’re more than just a member of the Phantom Thieves, aren’t you?” The crooked politician finally realized.

“Finally remember me, then?” Joker asked mockingly. With his free hand, the raven removed his mask to prove his identity. He took immense satisfaction in the burning look of frustration that morphed Shido’s expression into a bitter scowl.

“This ain’t the first time you failed to finish this guy off.” Skull barked.

“You took him to court and yet you don’t remember…? You truly don’t care about the fate of others.” Queen sighed.

“Wait…” Shido hissed. “Could you be… the one from back then…!?”

Was it their meeting in the dark alley, Shido drunk and screaming, or was it the court case that followed right after? Either way, Shido was remembering who he was, and what he’d done all those months ago.

“That damn brat who showed up when I was with that woman!” Shido spat.

Placing his mask back on, Joker felt Crow stiffen against him as the shadow began laughing. The bald man’s expression shifted from scorn to something elated and amused. Annoyance prickled at the raven, just what did the bastard find so damn funny?

“I see… So it truly is you.” The older man chuckled. “Hahaha… What an interesting turn of fate- the kid I crushed several months ago and the screw-up who carries my blood. But your efforts will be worthless in the end.”

“What!?” Skull snapped.

“Small sacrifices are inescapable for those wishing to be powerful, competent leaders.” Shido replied calmly. “how would you ever reach your destination if you stopped to count every ant you crushed on the road?”

“Are you saying that the people you killed deserved to die?!” Noir asked in disbelief.

“He’s totally insane…” Panther gasped.

“I thought we already established that…” Crow muttered.

“I wouldn’t expect the ignorant masses of this country to understand.” Shido sneered. “thus, I will offer proof…”

Ripping off his shirt, Shido glowered at him with his arms dropped into a fighting stance, fingers curled into fists. His bare torso was reinforced by some kind of brace, the air around him thick and heavy with an unseen miasma, The power Shido radiated was on a different level than that of the creature of human sacrifice.

“By forcefully crushing the Phantom Thieves!” The shadow ruler declared. “I… shall win this game!”

“What is this power?!” Oracle exclaimed. “careful, those muscles aren’t just for show!”

Letting go of Crow, all of them sans the brunette prepared to attack. Shido was slower than his human sacrifice mounts, but hit a lot harder in turn. That Tyrant’s fist hit Skull twice, inflicting him with despair that had to be recovered right away. Their attention was entirely focused on Shido, no one had noticed Crow failing to join them, and no one noticed when the brunette dropped to his knees, clutching the mask over his eyes, or the dark aura that had begun to settle over his quivering body.

Enduring a few choices blows from the thieves, Shido was quick to cast dekaja, erasing the buffs they had all so carefully maintained up until now. Joker clicked his tongue in barely veiled frustration as Skull, Queen, and Fox recast their deligated buffs. The raven followed up by casting debilitate, hoping it would last for more than part of a turn. Treating him the same as the tumb, the thieves sans one hurled all that had at Shido.

They were about a third of the way through Shido’s health when Crow screamed. It was an agonizing, gut-wrenching sound that had even Shido pausing in his tracks. The brunette was writhing on the ground, dressed in his darkly colored prisoner’s garb, clawed fingers scraping noisily against his black mask.

“o-o-oh no!” Oracle stammered. “Not good, not good!”

Before she could elaborate, Crow whimpered out a strangled cry, mask shattering to let Loki emerge from a tangled flurry of blue fire. The black and white persona was hunched over and writhing in obvious pain, clutching at the parts of his face around his striped horns. With a vicious, desperate howl of fury and pain, the horned trickster materialized his claymore and rushed at them.

Loki didn’t give a damn about who was fried or foe, treating both the thieves and Shido as enemies as he rampaged, striking viciously. Several times Loki pulled away from one opponent to smash his face forcefully into the ground, several times in each instant. On a few other occasions, the horned persona would willingly let Shido smash his face into the wooden floor. The horned persona thrashed abound, quick and powerful, and not afraid to unload. Fox grunted while barely avoiding Loki’s maragidyne, Mona yelped as he was clipped by vorpal blade.

“What the hell Crow!” Skull shouted. “Why’s Loki actin’ up like this?!”

The only response they received was a weak, pained moan. Through Loki’s rampage, Crow remained and the ground, hands pressed to his face as little whines of pain tumbled free.

“Not good, I think this might be like those pain spells he told us about,” Oracle said. “Crow’s unresponsive, and I’m getting this crazy reading from Loki, it’s as if there’s something there with his, causing the pain…”

“Is there anything we can do?” Panther asked.

“Yes, like this, we can’t win!” Fox added.

“Uh, uh, well, the source of the strange reading seems to be from his horns,” Oracle replied.

“His horns?” Noir said, perplexed.

“Actually, Loki’s been smashing his face into things, I think there might be something wrong with them,” Queen observed. “Crow did say those pain flashes did happen around his horns..."

Shido grunted as he ducked out of the path of Loki’s claymore. Winding back a fist, the shadow managed to clip one of the horns. There was a small, light chipping sounds, like glass crunching under a heel. Webbs of cracks snaked up Loki’s left horn. Parts of the black and white exterior fell away in small chunks, revealing wiggling and pulsing gold-yellow flesh.

Skull gaged in audible disgust, beside him panther let out a clipped “we!” noise.

Half of Loki’s left ‘horn’ fell away, exposing the fleshy, colorful mass of flesh beneath. As the maggoty body wriggled and squirmed, Loki’s head jerked left and right to follow. Opalescent saliva dripped from Loki’s fanged jaw as the persona let out a shriek, both pained and enraged, before charging at Shido again. On the ground, Crow gasped out a strangled half-shout.

“Woah, the foreign signal’s stronger now!” Oracle exclaimed. “That’s it! Those ‘horns’ aren’t supposed to be part of Loki, they're the reason he’s in so much pain!”

Oracle’s revelation left Joker pressing his lips in concern. A foreign, parasitic entity attached to Loki, very clearly manipulating and controlling the persona’s actions, thus influencing his master in turn. Something about that revelation had a chill running down the raven’s spine, leaving him anxious. In the back of his mind, Arsen stirred. The red-clad persona radiating a disdain for those faux horn magots that matched his master’s.

“Oracle, if I remove them, Loki should calm down?” Joker asked.

“Uhhh, yeah!” She replied. “totally, if they are the reason for his berserk state.”

Nodding, Joker looked to his teammates. “Alright, think you all can hold off Shido while I handle Loki?”

“Yeah, should be no problem!” Skull smirked.

“Leave it to us, go help Crow!” Mona affirmed.

Wasting no time, Joker charged at Loki. Behind him, Fox and Noir summoned their personas, herding Shido’s shadow away from the rampaging horned god. The raven felt his first persona, felt Arsen grin; a fiery smirk that oozed confidence. The red-clad thief’s expression bled into his master’s, he slipped into his confident headspace. Sensing the raven’s approach, Loki’s head jerked in turn with the parasite's body, a choppy, jarking action, and swung his sword. Diving out of the blade’s way, Joker brought a hand quickly to his mask.

“Persona!”

Arsen’s taloned hand roughly grabbed Loki’s sword wrist, violently flapping his wings to disrupt the parasite before shooting his free hand to it’s exposed body. Clawed fingers tightly squeezed around the wiggling, moist body. Joker could practically feel the pulsing, clammy flesh in his own hand as he darted over to Crow. The brunette was thrashing on the ground, fingers scrambling against the area around his eyes. Loki’s pain was his pain.

With a guttural growl, Arsen pulled. Loki and Crow screamed as the wiggling body was pulled free. No longer sheathed in a tough outer layer, nor buried in Loki’s face, the wiggling bright yellow and sickly green body was bare for all to see. Grunting, Arsen crushed it beneath sharp talons. The magot quelched, then fell still before turning to smoke. One down, one more to go.

Arsen beat his powerful wings to pit distance between himself and Loki, easily ducking out of the striking range of Loki’s sword. The horned god was sluggish and dazed from having one of those things ripped free, attacks slow and labored. Charging at Loki a second time, the two fools clashed in a violent, writhing tango of feathers and hair as Arsen reached for the other ‘horn’. Unlike its twin, the light magot was still fully sheathed in its keratin(?) cover. The black and white shell layer easily crumbled beneath Arsen’s claws. Before the phantom thief could pull the second parasite free, Loki’s free claws dove for Arsen’s side. The pillager of twilight beat his wings, pulling back.

So close. The other parasite wiggled around like a slug or a snail. Loki howled as it jerked at flesh. Spurred on by the pain, the horned god charged. Acting as though the black and white persona still had horns, Arsen lowered his head to meet the oncoming attack. As their skulls clashed, Arsen quickly used that moment to grabbed the other fleshy mass and pull. It came out with a simple tug.

His master was too tired and drained to cry out, leaving Loki to shriek alone as Arsen crushed the parasite beneath a sharp heel. The crimson persona and his master felt immense satisfaction.

Loki’s form became hazy, blurry, and seemed to start changing. His jaw opened to let free animalistic screaming ant slowly transitioned into something human. Still clutching at his aching eyespots, Loki curled in on himself. Howling out, in a flurry of glistening braids and gleaming metal, Lokis’s form shifted and transformed. Dragging his hands away, a now crimson eyed Loki glared at Arsen’s grinning face.

No longer the grinning beast made of hard edges, the monochrome persona stood proudly, humanoid body comprised of soft curves in place of the jutting corners his former form was comprised of. Plush looking fur replaced hard paneling, the black and white patterning no longer straight and industrial, instead, they wove and twisted down slender limbs, narrow shoulders, fluffed up into the wild main of long fur around his shoulders and collar. It stopped just at his neck, right beneath his jaw. Loki’s face was pale and soft, elegantly framed by long locks of dark brown hair. Soft-looking lips were parted back to show off a maw still lined with sharp teeth, like those of a wolf, pulled into a grimace. Beneath his dark hair, Loki’s eyes glittered, two lines of dark, garnet red were the only indications that something was once amiss with those steely ruby orbs. Loki was still hooves, but unlike in his previous form, the gold entrusting them was etched and gilded, With four ‘claws’ sticking out on each hoof. Pale yellow-gold horns ringed Loki’s head like a circlet, as if mimicking the shape of a crown.

“L-Loki…” Crow croaked.

Hearing his master’s voice, the persona snapped out of his fury and darted to the brunette teen’s side.

“Wait- what?!” Skull yelped. “What the eff happened to Loki, he looks so different?!” The blond narrowly managed to dodge another tyrant’s fist.

“Oh, I get it! That must be Loki’s true form, those parasite-like things must have forcefully traped him in that other form.” Mona theorized.

“Can you stand?” Joker asked.

Nodding, Crow let Joker help him to his feet. The brunette looked up at his persona, red eyes dancing with marvel and awe at he smirked down at his master with a soft expression. The moment was broken by Pather’s startled cry, reminding both thieves that the others were still neck-deep in combat. There would be time, when this was over, to marvel at this new change.

“…I apologize for the trouble we caused, allow us to assist,” Crow said.

“Good, I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Joker smirked.

With all of their members now in fighting condition, the 9 thieves converged on their foe using their full might. Crow entered the fray in Loki’s colors, calling upon the persona’s immense physical and almighty attacks. Now that the parasites had been dealt with, there was nothing stopping Crow from using his persona’s power to it’s fullest.

For as powerful as Shido was, it was still him alone against 8 rebellious teenagers whose hearts and metal had been tested over and over again. Soon enough, they had Shadow Shido down to about a third of his health.

“Not bad…” The shadow grunted. “but there is no reason for me to lose to thieves!”

“Hmph, and we have no reason to lose against you!” Crow snapped.

Switching between Loki and Robin as easily as Joker swapped between his masks, the pair made a deadly duo. With a wave of his hand, Loki used laevateinn, causing Shido to stage and giving Noir an opening to follow up with one-shot kill. Just a little more, Shido’s heath was running low.

“Take this!” Skull roared, his megaton raid colliding with Shido.

The adult’s shadow remained upright, but his chest was heaving with each labored breath. The palace ruler was only hanging on my a mere sliver of health. Only a little more, and they’d have him beaten. Unless the bastard decided to pull another form-change out of his ass.

“Nnnnnngh!” Shido groaned. “how are these lowlife brats beating me…?”

“Now’s our chance!” Oracle encouraged. “let’s take his treasure!”

“Aaaaaaaahahahahaha!” Shido scoffed. “don’t think you’ve won. The power held by the most elite is what rules over our society…” The shadow sneered. “it’s vexing that I have to use this on some foolish brats… but I will educate you through and through!”

"He’s still gonna come at us?!” Oracle whined.

“Heh, now I see where Crow gets it from,” Joker teased.

“Hey!” The brunette in question snapped.

“Hehehe, Gotcha!” Oracle said.

With a howled, Shido broke the bracer encasing his body, the aura around him surging. He glared at them, Joker and Crow especially, with a downright murderous expression. Yep, another form change. This was getting ridiculous- fast. Didn’t Shido know when to quit? Not even Crow had been this persistent!

“No way! He’s even stronger now?!” Oracle cried.

“Hmph… Die.” Shido grunted.

They could only hope that this was his final form. Damn it, none of the other palace rulers changed this many times! This form, named True Masayoshi Samaiel Shido, was the strongest yet. He was faster and stronger, using both physical and magic attacks as he pleased. Mona gave up on fighting entirely just to focus on healing, making sure everyone had the hp and sp needed to attack with their best. Queen and Panther tried to assist him where they could, but they were often needed for fighting or helping maintain the parties' buffs. Shido was not afraid to use dekaja.

Though his attackers were more spread out, using multi-targeting spells in between his physical attacks, Shido was definitely favoring Crow and Joker. Everyone was starting to feel exhausted after 4 previous fights, their normally quick and snappy movements slowing down. Time felt like it was cold molasses sliding down a wall; thick and moving a centimeter at a time. Their stamina was draining away, Mona was becoming slower and slower, healing no longer snappy and instantaneous- even with Panther and Queen’s assistance.

The only saving grace was that Shido’s shadow was not unaffected by this long, drawn-out battle either; his health was slowly but surely being chiseled down, and his movements were becoming sluggish just as theirs were. His accuracy was beginning to wane, making it easier to drag their exhausted bodies out of harm's way.

“Hmph,” Shido grunted when they whittled him down to half health. “you will regret your actions …you’ve angered me for the last time.”

It seemed the battle had finally reached its desperation point. Both parties drew upon the last of their remaining stamina to finish this. Shido, while not changing forms, did power up. Speeding up his movements, the shadow began drawing upon powerful spells like inferno and diamond dust, magic at a power level not even Joker was strong enough to have access to. Using up the last of their recovery items, the thieves surged in for the final gambit.

“It seems you still don’t understand what happens when you defy me,” Shido said coarsely. “…I will destroy you with my own two hands.”

Fortifying his attack while cutting the thieves’ speed, Shido unleashed a tyrant’s wave upon them, hitting just about everyone. At that moment, Joker didn’t have one of his physical nullifying personas equipped, leaving even himself vulnerable to the attack. Those that were attacked had their health cut in half, if they got lucky. Joker sucked in a wheezy breath, beside him, Skull looked ready to collapse, and Fox was barely standing. Crow seemed to be breathing easier than the rest, but even he was lagging, feeling the effect of having to tank that last hit.

Thankfully, that ended up being the last hurdle. Shido, just as exhausted as they were, slowed down just enough for the thieves to squeeze in the last few hits. Noir finished him off with a one-shot kill, following behind the strongest laevateinn Crow could muster. The almighty attack filled with a lifetime of pain and frustration.

With a sharp cry, Shido dropped to one knee, panting. Glaring daggers at them, the blad man tried vainly to stand up and continue fighting. He managed to make it as far as rising to his feet, but collapsed forward after the first step, unable to muster the energy needed to keep fighting.

“How could I… lose?” The man whimpered, reverting back to his true form. Crawling onto his knees, Shido knelt, beaten, head bowed in submission.

“For causing countless mental shutdowns in others, you will atone… with your life,” Queen stated callously.

“Don’tcha got somethin' to say to these two before you go passin’ out on us?” Skull reminded, jerking a thumb as Joker and Crow.

“Yes…” Shido sighed. He looked up at Joker. “I acknowledge… that I incriminated you on false charges. I did it to protect myself…” He looked over at Crow, the brunette shuffled slightly. “and, my son… I am sorry for the suffering you had to endure because of me. Both directly and indirectly.” Shido bowed his head once more. “I am so sorry for what I’ve done…”

Crow looked away. This was the very thing Crow had been waiting for- had poured blood, sweat, and tears in for. Unfortunately, a simple sorry could never undo the years of trauma he’d suffered, could never bring his mother back. Panther placed a reassuring hand on the brunette’s shoulder.

Shido chuckled and smiled wryly. “It feels as though it’s been quite some time since I have felt sincerely apologetic…”

“If you truly do, go atone for your crimes,” Joker ordered.

“Hmph… That may be good…” The man replied vaguely. “So, I’ve been defeated…” He let out a short, bitter laugh at that, then shook his head.

Over in the real world, the true Shido Masayoshi was locked away in his office, several of his subordinates crowing away to each other. He could feel the effects of their actions start to sink in. Pain flooded his head, drawing out a pained groan as he placed a hand against the cool glass window to keep himself upright. The neon lights of the city below grated on his eyes like rusty knives.

“Sir!” One of the few people present, an assemblyman, yelped.

Another rush of pain pulsed just behind his eyes. “No… Did they succeed…?” Shido gasped, panting.

He turned to the researcher present and pointed to the unlabeled bottle in his hand. “Hey!”

“Yes, sir!” The man said quickly.

“Will I really be able to kill the Phantom Thieves if I take that?!” He demanded, sucking in short, unsteady breaths through his teeth.

Dragging himself away from the window with a pained hiss, Shido lurched towards the man. His hands thumping against wood as he braced himself against his desk, leaning heavily on it to support himself. Wobbling around it, he used the edge for support as he unsteadily approached the lab coat wearing man. His eyes burned, probably half-mad from the pain, the man shrank in place.

“According to Wakaba Isshiki’s research…” The man answered hastily. “temporarily collapsing a palace will take down anyone inside it as well.” He then added, “The abrupt nature of the collapse means they will be unable to escape without extreme luck.

“Uh, however, the only way to purposely erase a cognitive world is by halting biological activity” He explained nervously. “In other words, this medicine will temporarily kill you. There are great risks involved…”

“Anything will do! Give it to me!” Shido snarled.

Grabbing the bottle from the man’s grip, he rattled out a few of the inconspicuous-looking capsules and swallowed them down without a second thought. Nausea and a sickening feeling made him grimace. “Ngh…” Between clenched teeth, Shido smiled, wide and deranged. “Now… they’re done for…” He gasped.

When the heavy dose of drugs finally kicked in, Shido’s consciousness cut out all at once. The man felt nothing, only darkness as he dropped suddenly to the floor. The men in the room crowded around his temporarily lifeless body.

“How reckless of him…!” the wealthy man cried as Shido’s private doctor dropped down to his side.

“W-we must be sure to transfer him at once if anything goes wrong!” The doctor stammered.

The phantom thieves watched as a pale, glittering steering wheel drifted down from above. It shimmered and sparkled like a treasure, despite how seemingly ordinary it looked. Still, it was undoubtedly Shido’s treasure, the rotten root of his desires.

“Wait, why a wheel?” Panther asked. “and it’s for a ship…?”

“I must… steer this country! If I don’t, who will…?!” Shido gasped suddenly. The meekness of defeat melted away, replaced by a sudden feverish impulse.

What arrogance…” Fox grimaced.

Shido’s shadow dropped as his form began to cut like a bad TV image all static and glitchy imagery. Collapsing to the ground with a strangled cry, Shido’s shadow dissolved into a fine black mist. Crow froze, wavy cinnamon-colored hair standing on end as his eyes went wide.

“What the-“ Skull gasped.

“We need to go- now!” Crow snapped. “that’s what a shadow does when it dies. I don’t know how, but the Shido in the real world did something. We need to escape now, before this ship collapses and sinks with us!”

“What?!” They all shouted.

“Grab the treasure and Run!” Mona screamed.

Fox, as the tallest of them, snatched the steering wheel from the air. With their prize in hand, the group began running the way they came, forgoing the elevator in favor of a quicker route. The ground beneath their feet started to wobble and tilt as explosions rocked the ship, water pouring in from the broken hull. Everyone screeched to a halt, finding the hallway they’d been fleeing down flooded and unusable.

“Huh?!” Panther cried, panic coloring her voice. “Didn’t we come this way?!”

“We can’t get through like this!” Skull hissed.

“Everyone, follow me!” Crow ordered, tearing down a different hallway.

The detective had spent the last 2 years under Shido’s thumb, more than enough time to spend wandering the lavish halls now ruined with seawater. He knew the layout better than any of them, and if any of them could find an alternative route on the fly, it was Crow. Even as explosions rocked the ship, destroying it from the inside out and cutting of paths, hindering their progress, Crow remained calm. Thinking well on the fly with whatever mental map he had, the brunette guided them down a route that would get them out of the flooding ship.

Crow’s comment from earlier rang in the air. Shido’s shadow had died, despite none of them having delivered a lethal blow. Was the man willing to even kill himself if it meant he could take them down with him? Akira shuddered. It was unlikely the death was permanent, Shido wasn't that kind of man, not when he was so close to being elected prime minister. Such ruthlessness, even when beaten and cornered.

Thanks to Crow’s calm nerves and quick thinking, they found themselves in the diet building, looking out on the front deck. A single lifeboat rocked and swayed ahead. There was no clear or safe path, the ship had tilted severely as explosions punched more holes in for water to flood.

“We just gotta get there, right?” Skull asked, pointing at the release lever.

“It’s too far,” Fox replied. “we won’t reach it in time!” The artist indicated to the flooding water behind them.

“I-I’m scared!” Oracle whimpered. “I dunno how to swim!”

“I got this,” Skull said.

“Skull, are you sure?” Crow asked.

The blond nodded, eyes set. “Hang tight, I’ll nab the boat!” He promised.

Jumping down onto the side of the Diet, Skull took a stating pose. “It’s not or never…” He grunted. “Here goes!”

Tearing down the side of the building at top speed, all they could do was watch and hope as the ex-track runner sprinted towards his goal. With gravity on his side, Skull used that momentum to jump forward at the water’s edge, propelling him forward. An explosion occurred right as he jumped, but not even that hindered him in his determination. Clinging to the deck a moment, with another rebellious howl Skull continued sprinting towards the release lever to one of the lifeboats.

“Go!” Panther screamed, cheering their friend on. Her twin tails bounced nervously off her shoulders.

When he was close enough, Skull jumped, grabbing the lever with both hands. Using his weight, the blond managed to pull it down. Everyone cheered as the lifeboat swung around, swaying as the cabled lowered it down to the edge where they were waiting. Skull offered them a cocky grin and a thumbs-up as everyone hopped onto the lifeboat. All that was left was to get the blond. Fox tugged at the engine a few times to get it started.

“Hang on!” Joker called.

“We’re moving,” Fox informed him, the engine roared to life.

Speeding towards the dangling blond, another explosion combusted as they approached, right beneath where the blond was holding on.

“Persona!” Crow screamed.

Loki dove through the air right as the heat and fire of the explosion started obscuring Skull from view. It was too late. When the smoke and heat cleared, Loki returned empty clawed.

“No- NO!” Crow screamed. Joker threw an arm around his despairing teammate as the brunette detective buried his face in his hands. The others could only watch helplessly as more explosions violently destroyed the body of the arc until only a flaming wreck remained.

“No way… It can't be…” Panther murmured. “Come on, what the hell, Ryuji…” Shaking her head, the ashen blond screamed. “Ryuji!”

As the palace of pride burned, reality distorted around them. The parallel space finally gave out, deposited them back in reality, right outside the Diet where they’d entered. Akechi’s shoulders trembled as Akira guided him to his shoulder. They all were in low spirits, after seeing what happened to Ryuji. It had been one thing when Akira danced with death- they had split up then. This time, the thieves had been forced to watch one of their own vanish.

“We’re back…” Ann gasped. “Ryuji?!” She called out.

Her desperate, searching cries were replied with only silence. The sheer weight of it threatened to crush her- to crush all of them.

“He didn’t… make it out…” Haru whispered.

“We gotta go back!” Futaba cried.

“That’s impossible…” Morgana said sadly.

“Ha… hahaha…” Fox chuckled, somewhere between disbelief and nervous. “This isn’t funny at all…”

“I-I’m sorry,” Akechi sobbed. “I wasn’t- I wasn’t fast enough…”

“Akechi…” Makoto murmured.

“He was our fastest runner too…!” Ann said, voice cracking under an onslaught of sorrow.

“So, this is the treasure…” Fox mused quietly, bending down to gingerly pick up a small object from the sidewalk.

“It’s a legislator’s pin,” Makoto informed, glancing at the small item.

Futaba started sniffling, threatening to break down like Akechi was starting to. Ann broke down crying. Akira couldn’t blame them, even though there was nothing they could have done, not even a persona had been fast enough to catch him. The loss of a friend left a bitter taste.

“Maaaaaaaaan, that was close…” A familiar voice groaned. Ryuji walked over, not too much worse for wear, though maybe a bit on the tired side. “for real though, why do palaces gotta explode so much? Can’t they just disappear normally?”

Noticing the looks he was getting from everyone, the blond glanced around. “…what?” He said, as though he didn’t just almost die.

“Didn’t you… die?!” Haru asked, the question they were all thinking.

“What?!” Ryuji exclaimed. Rubbing a hand through his hair, the blond groaned. “I got blasted out from the explosion… When I woke up, I was lyin’ on the grass… I mean, ain’t I alive?

Taking in their faces, some still wet and puffy from the short crying session literally seconds before, he grinned mischievously. “What’s this? Your cryin’ face is so not cute.” He teased Ann.

“It’s your damn fault!” She screamed.

With emotions running high, and adrenalin still making a run through their veins, Akira anticipated Ann smacking the blond boy in the next few seconds. Before anyone could act or react on the bleach blond’s sudden return from the jaws of death, Akechi bolted forward and threw his arms around Ryuji, burying his face in the other’s shoulder, crying.

“Damn it, I-I, I thought you died! I thought I failed to protect one of the people I vowed to…” The brunette sobbed.

“Hu- Oh right! Loki, you tried to go get me…” Ryuji smiled, something soft and gentle. “Sorry everyone, didn’t mean to make you all worry like that.”

“It’s fine, we’re just glad to see you alive and kicking,” Akira replied wryly. “just don’t go making this a habit.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I never really liked how they handled Ryuji's return from near dead- being ganged up like that always seemed out of character for the girls, even in an emotional situation like that. I fixed it. You're welcome.
> 
> Akechi finally had his third persona Arc (as you all can plainly tell, it's Joan D'Arc, but that name won't be used until the second awakening). I've just about finished hammering out what all the thieves personas are going to be, though I am still working on a lot of the supporting characters. I look forward to revealing them all as the story progresses.
> 
> Loki's true form reveal was inspired by the bases' inspiration. Part of Game!Loki's design came from parasites that infected snails, I just took that a step forward and was more true to the real-life parasite.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fight has been won, but not everything is said and done. Goro and Sae still need to talk.

Goro had a decent enough idea of what the Niijima sisters' home life was like, gleaned from the pits and pieces of information Sae let slip here and there. He knew that Sae was currently the only bread-winner in the house, after the sudden death of their father several years back. Their mother had died early on; just barely a part of the two's lives long enough for the younger sister to form memories of the woman. After all but becoming orphans, Sae had been forced to juggle working full-time with being a law student; all while having to become a role model to her still juvenile sister. 

The elder Niijima had been caught between the rock of a tense home life, and the hard place of being one of a scant few female prosecutors in a system utterly drenched and comprised of men and misogyny. The stress and her own buried bitterness at the world caused her desired to spiral out of control into distortion. And, it was this stress-born distortion that made her the optimal target for the SUI Director's scheming; easy to manipulate behind the scenes.

Goro knew all of this- had turned a blind eye to all of it. All for the sake of his own selfishness.

The brunette would be lying if he said he wasn't nervous. The chaos of these past few days; crammed to the brim with the action of fighting the thieves, fighting his father, finally being honest with himself, nearly losing a friend, and nearly dying himself left his head spinning. Goro had only spoken with Sae once in that whirlwind of events, and that had been a brief conversation among the thieves that ended with him telling the older woman to make him the fall guy. Now? Now the pair would be (mostly) alone, with no one to interrupt them. With all of his lies and deceptions having been torn down, Goro was going to have to be honest when he faced the one person he'd kept at arm's length for the longest time.

The train care was empty- save for them. Makoto was silent in her seat next to his own, nose buried in a small book the entire time. Goro was thankful for the silence, wasn't sure how much of a conversation partner he would be at the moment. It gave him a chance to just be lost in his head and collect his scattered thoughts.

How would he face Sae, and how would the other react? Should he have even agreed to Makoto's offer to spend the night at her place? Doubts were starting to form, and the impulse to flee from conflict was rising in his chest. Before his doubts could give rise to panic, Robin Hood murmured peaceful, soothing words in his mind's ear. It was a balm to his frazzled mind that eased the budding tension out of his tired body, slowly the knot of anxiety in his gut loosened. Through all of this, Loki was quiet save for a passive hum, , the horned god still recovering after being under the influence of the twin parasites for so long. 

She will understand, they all have understood. You were a wounded child pulled into a cruel game, twisted by greedy adult eager to further their own gains by using your trauma against you. All she wants to do is help.

Goro wanted nothing more than to believe in the hope his glittering white persona offered. But, more than a decade of fear and hurt, born from abuse and distrust, reinforced by betrayal and tragedy was not something a few days of kindness could easily push aside. For all the kindness his new friends had showered him in that he'd lacked in childhood, the brunette couldn't simply gag the suspicious part of his mind, for it was what had helped him survive while protecting his shattered heart.

Not once had he ever let his guard down around Sae. He'd remained suspicious of the silver-haired woman prosecutor from day one. People talked about trust as if it were something so easy to obtain, not realizing that for those whose trust has been broken in horrible ways, it was much harder to come by.

Goro knew right away when their stop was coming up, from the way Makoto snapped her book shut and tucked the small tome into an inner coat pocket. The station platform was just as deserted at the train car, and they were the only ones to get off. With no one around, there was no one to be wary of as the pair matched deeper into the underground station. Goro followed the darker brunette-haired girl closely as they made their way thought the light flow of people and out into the night-veiled streets above. Their apartment complex was located in a nicer part of Tokyo, with numerous streetlights to guide them through the dark.

The Niijima residence was part of a nice high-rising apartment complex. It towered higher than the tiny 4 story building his own belonged to. It wasn't really surprising; Sae made more money than he did. Despite being the renowned and praised detective prince-practically an idol at this point with his popularity- Goro only made minimum wage, even between his detective work and TV interviews. Such was reality for a high schooler. Still, it was a livable wage that let him live in a nice little complex closer to his school; a one-bedroom apartment that he had all to himself. Not that living alone left him feeling anything other and empty and lonely.

Waving a magnetized card over the sensor on the right wall, one of the twin double doors swung open, welcoming them into the lobby. The few people milling about the lobby, mostly residence with a few staff members, ignored them. Perhaps they chalked the two up as siblings, what with both of them having brunette hair and red eyes. Still, caution had Goro tugging the hood of his borrowed jacket down a little further. The last thing anyone needed was for him to be recognized as Goro Akechi; detective prince.

Their destination was on the 10th floor, just a tad further than two thirds up the building. It was a short wait before one of the elevators descended from a higher floor- empty, thankfully. Shuffling inside the metal box, Makoto hit the button marked with '10' and they waited. The ride up was permitted with silence, neither up for a conversation.

"I wonder if sis'll be home yet." He heard Makoto wonder quietly.

If it had been a regular day, Goro would have thought it to be no, and likely be at Sae's side as they read and reread case files and evidence lists. But after all the craziness and uncertainty with Shido's pending change of heart, it was hard to tell. Depending on how long they wanted to interrogate the lady prosecutor, she might be home waiting for them at this very moment. That was, if she had done as Goro asked and shifted the suspicion onto his absent shoulders. He hoped she did so, who knows what those bastards would have done to her if they perceived her to be an ally of the phantom thieves. Best case scenario was them locking her up, the worst... well, that wasn't something Goro even wanted to consider.

With the suspicion on Goro, not only was Sae saved from the hot seat, but it meant that when she went to prosecute Shido, they had one less card to play against her. If there was anyone he trusted to prosecute Shido and make damn well sure the bastard payed in full for his crimes, it was Sae Niijima.

When the elevator doors slid open, they stepped out into the 10th floor and scurried down the hall to the apartment. Retrieving her keys, Makoto jabbed them into the lock and twisted, hearing the deadbolt slide open with a click. Next was the knob lock, and turned easily. Cautiously opening the door, both teens breathed a heavy sigh of relief when they spied a familiar pair of stilettos by the door. Sae was home, she was safe.

Thank god.

"I'll go get started on dinner," Makoto whispered. "I believe you and sis have a much-needed chat," Her red eyes twinkled with coy mirth as she stepped out of a pair of plain running shoes and skittered deeper into the apartment.

Glaring at the brunette girl's retreating back, Goro sucked in a breath to steel his nerves as he slipped out of his shoes. Hesitantly, he walked deeper into the apartment, following a faint, familiar sound. Stepping into the living room, he spied Makoto over in the kitchenette, head in the fridge as she retrieved the necessary ingredients for tonight’s dinner. Sae was lounged out on the sofa, fingers clacking against the keys of her laptop's keyboard. She hadn't noticed him yet, if he wanted, Goro could escape right now and probably hole himself up with Akira. Only Makoto would notice, and he doubted she'd march over to Leblanc this late to drag him back.

Before his master could flee from confrontation, as he normally did, Loki growled.

How long will you continue to run? You know the signs of betrayal, know how to pick out a liar, and thus you know these people are truthful. For all the pain you've caused them, you owe it to them not to run away.

Loki is right, you will not know safety in their presence until you willingly take the chance. They deserve to be trusted, have proven that much.

"You two make it sound so easy!" Goro snapped under his breath. And yet, the brunette stepped forward into the living room, bracing himself for whatever came next.

The silver-haired woman's fingers paused in her worked when her dark garnet colored eyes spotted him. Escape was impossible in that moment, he'd be caught before he got out the door. Closing her laptop, Sae beckoned him to join her on the couch. Cautiously, he approached. Sae placed her laptop down on the low table placed near the sofa. Her sharp, wine-colored eyes watched as he took the spot next to her, refusing to look at her as he sat down.

"I take it, you all won?" Sae asked cautiously, testing the waters.

"Yes... the change of heart is done. Tomorrow, Shido will confess his crimes." Goro answered softly. "I cannot say for certain what exactly he'll say, but I'm certain he will at least admit to being the orchestrator of the mental shutdowns and psychotic breakdowns."

"Good, a live confession all but guaranties I'll win the case. Still, he's likely to have a good layer protecting him- with how deep his conspiracy goes, but they'll find Sae Niijima is not so easily beaten." She said proudly, eyes gleaming. It was nice to see the strong-willed, determined young woman he'd first met her as. A part of him hurt seeing the cruel and callous woman Sae had later become. Makoto was probably the most happy to see her sister like this, to once more have the sister she loved back unto her senses.

"I assume they came for you?" He inquired. "How did that go? What did you tell them?"

"I did, three detectives came to see me as I was getting off work. Likely sent once they realized there was no body in the morgue. I told them about your visit right after, just as you requested. I figured that not talking the fall would make it harder for any for Shido's men to try and stop me from prosecuting their boss when the time comes."

"Good," Goro breathed, relived. "unless they catch me, they cannot easily paint me as the perpetrator behind everything, not without exposing their own sins in the process." He added wryly.

"Good luck to the poor bastard who tries to do that, you aren't the easiest to pin down." Sae chuckled.

The two shared a laugh over that. At the start, their relationship had been strictly professional, and neither had tried to change that. Sae had been pissed off after finding she'd been partnered up with a kid her sister's age, barely in his first year of high school. In her eyes, he was nothing more than a liability; a weight that would hinder her progress and cause her nothing but grief. Things had been icy and stiff between them, Sae taking the assignment as a joke and thus being huffy about it for the longest time. Heeding Igor's barely veiled threat about letting people in, Goro hadn't cared in the slightest and treated her with only the bare minimum of respect.

In Sae's defense, almost everyone considered him little more than a child. They didn't know about his childhood, about his history of loss and abandonment, or his scars. To them, he was this random brat who was unusually intelligent for someone his age, and a big detective fanatic. It was aggravating to the adults, the detectives and police who'd been in that line for work for years, to see a mere child solve crime with ease. They didn't know that child had supernatural powers that let him see into the hearts of others, or the power to break others self-control and make them act on their desires.

Eventually, Sae had warmed up to him. She'd come see how was just as looked down upon as herself, and the two finally formed a true partnership. Their colleges were comprised mostly of older men, people who'd grown up in, less excepting generations. Many of them scoffed at her presence, just like they did his own, and treated them both as if they didn't belong. Goro was the only one who truly treated her like she was competent, and Sae in turn treated him as her equal. By the end of the case, she stopped treating him like a burden, and from there found him the least irritating detective to work with.

Despite the blatant sexism, Sae marched on with all the fire of a dragon, and all the might of a tiger. Her father had believed in her, had supported her, and Sae took that love to heart much more than the jeers and harsh words. In an ideal world, her grit and determination alone would have been enough for Sae to succeed. But, this was the real world. Eventually, her determination to prove the world wrong shifted into bitterness towards those who mocked her, between the expectation of her workplace and the needs of her kid sister, Sae's Idealation of her father's justice turned to scorn.

"...I'm sorry," Goro mumbled.

"Akechi..."

"I, I knew what the SIU Director was planning to do with you. He intended to make you his scapegoat- should anything happen and he needed an easy way out. I knew that, but I turned a blind eye to it. I was so engrossed with my own revenge schemes that I ignored the suffering of the one person who gave a shit about my wellbeing." He needed to say this, needed to apologize for almost letting her fall. Sae had become a sort-of surrogate sister to him, something he had never known before. And he had done nothing when someone tried to turn that sister into a monster.

"...Looking back on it, I could see the signs that the Director wasn't being as sincere to me as he appeared. “Sae replied slowly. "Especially when he ordered me to capture the Phantom Thieves; the amount of pressure and time crunch he was demanding was unnatural and wholly unrealistic for anyone, but I didn't think anything of it at the time." She looked at him, a steely, adamant gaze that forced him to meet her eyes. "Akechi... Goro, I don't blame you for that. You had your own issues to deal with at the time, and there was always the chance I would have ignored you if you'd brought it up to me. You know how stubborn I can be."

Goro felt his lips crack into a watery smile. "Stubborn is putting it lightly, but yes, you have a point." Running a hand through wavy chestnut locks, the teen sitting on the cusp of early adulthood sighed, a deep, weary little sound that seemed to embody just how tired he was. "Thank you, for everything. I'm glad you were my partner then, and now."

"Sounds like your hear-to-heart went well," Makoto's voice cut in. "and, as it just so happens, dinner's just about done. Anyone hungry?"

Dinner ended up being a quiet affair; neither Goro nor the Niijima sister is much of a mood to chat away between bites of grilled fish and vegetables. That was more than fine for him, dinner was always eaten alone, left to stew in his thought while nibbling on a cup of instant ramen for the convenience store just down the street. So, to sit in a comfortable silence with more than himself, just enjoying the company for what it was, was leaps above anything else.

Makoto was a skilled cook, nearly as good as Sojiro-san. The well-balanced meal of grilled fish, fluffy steamed rice, and sautéed mixed vegetables was leaps and bounds better than any convenience store dinner. And, Goro couldn't cook. His mother had died while he was still too young to properly learn how, and none of his foster families had been interested in actually caring for him, let alone teaching him an important skill like preparing his own meals.

Maybe, now that he had the time and people to show him, he might learn the invaluable life skill. 

When everyone was done eating, the sisters strong-armed Goro into taking the first shower. The reasoning was, he was their guest, and the polite thing to do was let the guest shower first. Goro tried to protest, but his words fell on deaf ears as Sae dragged him off to find a change of clothes for the night. The sisters still had their father’s old clothes, tucked away in the back of a closet, untouched after the accident. The late Niijima male, from what he'd heard, had been a tall, well-built man that was likely bigger than Goro was. Anything of his would be baggy on the boy. It was preferable to borrowing clothes from either Sae- or god forbit, Makoto- and finding their clothes to be loose on his slender build.

The sisters would ask question, questions Goro wasn't ready yet to answer. It was bad enough Sakura-san and his two 'kids' knew about his abnormally light weight.

Leaving the borrowed t-shirt and slacks draped on the bathroom vanity, Goro stripped off the clothes Sae had managed to swipe from his closet, and dumped them into a pile in the corner. He'd pick them up afterwards. Pulling the curtain closed, he basked in the warmth of the spray cascading down. The heat was godsend on his skin, a small blessing after the long, toiling fight against Shido.

They'd won, He'd won. Shido was finally going to pay for everything he'd done over the years, would confess his every sin with that poisonous moth of his. Goro finally had some semblance of revenge for his mother, even if it felt too late. It was all finally sinking in.

How long had Goro dreamed for this day? Dreamed about Shido confessing everything, weeping as the man's heaven crumbled around him. Reality was different from his revenge-hazed fantasies. In those, he'd dreamed of driving Shido psychotic, the bastard confessing everything in a rage-filled haze as he acted on his darkest desires. In those, after Shido was forces to grovel for forgiveness after tearing his power down with his own hands, they always ended with Goro pointing the business and of his 'borrowed' gun at his own head. It always ended with that, before he could pull the trigger.

After years spend dreaming that Shido's fall from grace was synonymous with his own death, it was surreal for the brunette to find himself still living. Goro was still adjusting to the being alive thing. A lifetime of suffering, of self-hate and suicidal thoughts couldn't just be erased like that. Even now, at that moment, his fingers itched for a gun.

Shido would pay, Sae had promised that much and more. So, where did that leave him? How was Goro Akechi to atone for his bloody sins? Shido (and Igor) might have been the ones to teach and force him to kill, make him use his twisted power for the self-gain of a selfish plan, but that did not make him innocent. It was still by his hand that so much pain was inflicted upon others. It wouldn't be right to walk away from that; he couldn't walk away from his own sins like that.

For the longest time, Goro had figured death would be atonement enough, back when there was nothing an no one for the brunette to live for. Back when self-inflicted pain was the only think keeping him from falling apart. Goro knew the thieves wouldn't just sand aside and let him off himself; it wasn't in their nature to turn a blind eye to anther's suffering.

If Akira had seen his scars, the ones that covered his wrists, then their raven leader knew Goro was still a potential danger to himself. Akira Kurusu was not the kind of person to sit by and do nothing, if was the reason the younger teen was on probation, had even become a phantom thief in the first place. As long as Akira perceived Goro to be a danger to himself, the brunette would not be left alone until he was no longer perceived to be a danger to himself anymore.

So, then, how was he to atone?

Violently scrubbing soap over his skin, he clawed away at the sweat and grime that had accumulated from their final fight in Shido’s cruise of pride. Goro scrubbed and scrubbed until his pale, creamy skin was red from the friction. The Niijimas' carried a nice floral fragrance to it; not overwhelming, just a hint of lavender. Rinsing away the milky suds, all that remained was clean skin and the smell of freshness.

When his skin was clean, he shut the water off. Even if he was their guest, it was still polite to only take as long as absolutely necessary in the shower. Goro didn't bother washing his hair, he'd done that at Haru's place already. For now, getting it wet and combing it would suffice.

Just as anticipated, the borrowed shirt and pants hung off the brunette’s body as if he were a child playing dress-up with an older sibling's borrowed clothes. The extreme bagginess reflected the difference in body type between himself and the Niijima sisters' late father. The shirt was still on the vanity counter, the dark sweats just barely hung off his hips, fabric pooling around his ankles, even when he pulled it up to his waist. The elastic wasn't tight enough to keep them up that high. He would need to fold up the cuffs, maybe also pin them back with some bobby pints or something to keep from becoming a tripping hazard.

Knuckles rapped against the door. "Akechi? I found some clothes I think might fit you better," Makoto called from outside.

"Ah, thank you, your father's pants are a bit large on me, I'll probably need to pin them back." He replied.

"All right, but first, let's see how well these fit," The doorknob squeaked quietly as it was turned, a small noise that was barely audible.

Goro didn't think much of the noise as the door swung open, hadn't actually anticipated Makoto just walking in. Rubbing the towel through his still-damp hair to try and siphon as much moisture from it as possible, he froze when he spied Makoto's form in the mirror, a set of cloths draped over one arm.

It really shouldn't have been that surprising, Goro had outright told her he had pants on, and Makoto was likely more than used to sharing the bathroom with another person. The brunette girl remained frozen in the doorway, eyes wide with shock as she stared at Goro's exposed back, which was facing her full on.

Without a shirt on, his scared back was on full display for all to see.

The clothes on her arm dropped to a pile on the ground.

Mutely, Goro lost himself to his panic. Makoto had seen his scars, someone had seen the mess that was his back. She would be disgusted with him, hate him and scream at him. Goro felt his pulse speed out of control as his breathing quickened to just shy of hyperventilation.

"Goro!" His distantly heard her yell, watched his lithe for retreat over to where he was frozen.

In the middle of a full-blown panic attack, Goro was trapped in a daze as Makoto ran to his side, inspecting his back. She could see in full detail how little, if any, skin was unmarked with ugly scarring. It was a patchwork of various different types of abuse; long whip scars from when various foster parents had taken a belt or other strip of course material and whipped his back over and over, breaking open bloody welts that would ooze blood and burn for weeks as the skin slowly healed, the thinner lines where a sharp object and been pulled across his skin, the glossy patches were fire or a hot object had been pressed against skin until it blistered and fried. Along the back of his neck pin-sized circles from where one man had snuffed cigarette butts against the skin. Just above the nap of his neck was the thin line from where he'd been thrown down a set of stairs and crashed against the jutting corner of something- he didn't remember what.

He felt Makoto's wine-red eyes rake up and down his spite like hot coals. Thin fingers gripped his right wrist and tugged it wards the girl with little resistance. He felt her eyes drink in the violent lines that crisscrossed over his forearm down to the crook of his elbow. Those weren't directly from abuse and she knew it. 

They were from when the mental anguish became too much to bear, when he needed another kind of pain to offset the screaming in his head. Nearly all of them were from before his rise to fame. He watched Makoto peer into the mirror to see the scars that decorated his front; the claw-mark and small bullet hole from mementos or a palace, he couldn't remember what part of the metaverse he'd been in.

The metaverse had been the reason he'd not needed a razor blade these last two years. Most wounds acquired vanished the moment he returned to the real world. Because of that, he could throw himself into danger head-long, uncaring about how his body was torn and burned by enemy attacks. Fire and claw had replaced the kiss of a razor blade.

Far off, Goro heard someone run down the hall. Was it because he was dissociating, or were they just that far away?

Sae burst into the open bathroom frantically, some words escaped her lips, Goro couldn’t hear them over the blood roaring in his ears. He steeled himself. For harsh words, sharp rejection, scathing cruelty. People never reacted well to his scars. Many snapped at him, others jeered their existence, and others still found them disgusting. Squeezing his eyes shut, he heard the older woman's sharp inhale at his scars.

Makoto said something, he recognized the sound of her voice but couldn't make out the words. He was breathing, but it felt like he wasn't getting are, like something was trapped in his throat. He heard Sae's voice again, then the sounds of sock covered feet on the tile. Both sisters whispered in hushed tones, with his eyes such he couldn't see their faces. Goro was too scared to look.

Goro waited, agonized over how long this was taking, shoulders tense and lip threatening to break between his teeth. Anticipating a sharp slap or a loud scream, Goro instead felt one of Sae's arms settled around his thin shoulders. Instead of rejection, Makoto petted his hair, a sign of soothing and gentleness. It was the exact opposite of what he'd expected.

Opening his eyes, Goro found the sisters faces to be full of concern, not scorn or disgust. Wordlessly, Makoto helped him into the white shirt on the vanity. The sleeves fell well past his fingertips, and the collar sagged past his shoulders, but it hid his body from the mirror, white and fresh gauze.

Quietly, he was guided from the bathroom back into the living room. Settled onto the couch, the sisters used gentle touches; fingers threading through his damp hair, a hand rubbing soothing circles across his back, an arm secure around his shoulders to comfort him. They grounded him, soothed him far more than words alone could hope to reach.

When the panic worked itself out of his system, Goro cried. He was too mentally exhausted to care, let one of them guide his face into the crook of a shoulder. How long had it been since he'd cried like this?

I am thou, thou art I…

[Ryuji]: We finally did it!

[Yusuke]: We've done all we can.

[Futaba]: We started off with a huge announcement this time, after all!

[Futaba]: I can't wait for the results.

[Ann]: Results of the change of heart, or on the Phan-Site's poll?

[Ann]: But all that popularity doesn't matter anymore.

[Makoto]: Right. Things like approval ratings aren't important now.

[Ryuji]: Yeah!

[Goro]: Take it from a former public figure; approval ratings are a pain to maintain.

[Goro]: And, the media doesn't always do the best job of reflecting was society needs at any given point in time.

[Ryuji]: We definitely did the right thing for society.

[Ryuji]: We just gotta be proud about it, am I right?

[Akira]: Of course.

[Yusuke]: Technically, that's subjective, is it not?

[Ryuji]: Meh, who cares!

[Haru]: All that's left is to wait calmly for the results.

[Akira]: Tomorrow,

[Akira]: I doubt Boss'll mind if we view it from Leblanc tomorrow.

[Akira]: He's even willing to make us food.


	8. Chapter 8

By the time the three of them (four if you counted Morgana’s minor assistance) finished cleaning up the trainwreck, Shido’s lackeys had Leblanc as, it was late. Akira felt his jaw pop softly as his jaw stretched in a yawn. He was exhausted after all the excitement packed into the last several hours, and his bed was singing a siren’s song. Plodding up the attic steps to his humble abode, Morgana dozing on his shoulders, the raven felt really lucky that his borrowed attic room had escaped untouched- likely because he was still officially ‘dead’. That, and sans the shelves with nick nacks and clothes along with a work desk with the scattered remains of a late-evening project, there wasn't all that much up there to rummage through.

Rubbing his eyes, a futile attempt to clear his fuzzy vision, Akira dropped Mona on the bed before trudging over to his box of clothes to grab his pajamas. Motivated by his tired body, and the December night chill, Akira hastily changed into his pajamas, leaving his used clothes in a small heap on the floor to be dealt with in the morning. With one final yawn, the raven practically collapsed into bed and crawled under the comforter. Morgana curled up next to his thigh without waking, snoring softly.

The moment his head hit his pillow, Akira was dead to the world.

The moment his eyes drooped closed for the night, a deep, familiar shade of blue filled his vision. Slowly, his consciousness shifted back into alertness. Beneath him, the lumpy mattress of his bed back at Leblanc was replaced by the stiffness of the cot he had in his velvet room cell. Gone was the gentle weight of his comforter, and Morgana was no longer pressed up against his thigh. Sitting up, legs swinging over the edge, Akira heard the familiar soft rattling of his black iron shackles as he rubbed sleep from his eyes. The exhaustion that had clung to his arms and legs after the fight with Shido was gone, just like all the other times before.

Igor always summoned Akira to the velvet room after stealing a treasure, why would now be any different? Stand up straight, the raven walked the short distance from his rock solid cot to the cell door, the cast-iron bars and chains separating him from the rest of the prison. In the past, he’s felt curiosity, apprehension, and pride all mixed together when he’d stand before the prison-master after each victory. Perhaps, if they’d failed to save Akechi and the raven never came across a reason to become deeply suspicious of Igor, he might still feel the giddy high of victory. Now, after hearing how the other had treated his fellow thief and wildcard, Akira only mutely glared at the strange man. Suspicion and distrust replacing curiosity, but the apprehension still remained.

“I’ve reconsidered my opinion of you, inmate!” Caroline said haughtily.

“The look on your face seems to be that of a man who has accomplished a great deed,” Justine observed, calm and composed as always.

Perhaps the twins didn’t notice the near-murderous contempt he now held for their master, or they simply didn’t care and ignored it. Either was a real possibility with the two, it was hard to read them at the best of times. Justine especially; the girl was impressive at masking her emotions and staying in control.

“To think you used the trap set against you to entrap them… I’ve never seen a dramatic resurgence such as that.” Igor praised, deep voice laced with small humor. “Truly marvelous- those are the only words I can think to describe you.”

Before, Igor’s praise would leave him positively floating, chest bubbling with pride as he felt he stood on top of the world. That joy had curled up and died, along with any trust he had in the strange man. This was the monster that had set Shido up to nearly ruin Japan- maybe even the entire world. Looking at Igor in this new light, Akira wasn’t sure how much of the strange man could be taken at face value. Just what secrets was he hiding?

Akira was tempted to respond to Igor with something sarcastic and snarky, but he wasn’t all that up for the incending meltdown for the twin wardens. So, for now, he’d play nice. “…Thank you,” He said flatly.

“We should be thanking you for entertaining us thus,” Igor said with a wave of his hand. For the briefest of moments, there was a sinister malice in his crooked grin and bulging eyes, it vanished just as quickly as it came. “…You’ve overcome a mysterious misfortune. Not only did you best the great sinner of pride, but you even saved the lonely puppet dancing unknowingly to his tune. There should be no one left to hinder your rehabilitation.”

Akira snarled at the cruel way Igor referred to Akechi.

“Your rehabilitation will be completed shortly. That is… if everything goes well without any problems.” Igor’s final words echoed with hidden malice; a warning that this might not be as over had he’d once hoped it to be. The man chuckled, dark and rumbling as he stared at the imprisoned teen with an unreadable expression.

Akira had suspected as much. If Igor truly was the mastermind behind this tragedy, it wasn’t over just yet. Not by a long shot. Akira remembered some of the suspicious things Igor had said to him in the past. “thank you for entertaining us thus”. Was this all truly just some was for the long-nosed man to stave off boredom? The raven felt his lips pull at the thought. There was also the question raised by the use of ‘us’? It wasn't a slip on the tongue, every word uttered was intentional. So, who was this other observer? Was he referring to the wardens; Caroline and Justine? Or did Igor have a partner in this charade?

Before Akira could inquire about it, or get answers to any number of the growing list of questions he was accumulating, the world began to fade. Gritting his teeth, the raven glared at Igor; dark and promising as black consumed him. The prison master’s dark laughter rang in his ears the entire time, even as the blackness of sleep consumed him. As dark and foreboding as thunder about to break in the distance; the promise of a thunderstorm to come.

It was dark; dark and lonely and empty. It was just him, him and the darkness. The darkness swelled, swelled and surged around him, like the water of a sea anticipating gale winds that would toss them about. The surging, swelling shadows burst all at once, expelling him from their depths, leaving him hunched over and learning how to breathe.

His eyes were wide- wide and eager to take everything in, though his head was fuzzy and floaty. One moment, he’s hunched over on the cold, gloomy ground, and the next he’s staring at the back of someone familiar- someone he should know. He tried to remember, but the harder he chased the thought, the more his head hurt and hurt and hurt.

The person removed the paws pressed to either side of his head. Glowing gold meets soft blue as the figure turns around. His face stares back at him, his eyes take him in. Before he can react, the dream is rejecting him, tossing him back into the world of waking.

Morgana gasped as he was startled awake. That dream again, and a dream it was. It wasn’t a nightmare, or, it didn’t feel like one. Sure, he always woke up in a cold sweat, heart racing as panic gripped him, but the fear didn’t come for the dream. Morgana was scared because it didn’t feel like a dream, but like something he’d forgotten, and that scared him.

“Damn. How many times have I had this dream…?” The black not-feline whined quietly, voice low so as to not disturb his bed-mate. “Or… Could it be that it’s not a dream at all?”

The more the dream reoccurred, and the longer Morgana thought about it, the more he became certain there was some grim truth buried there. It was the key to his missing memories, and the mission his mind told him needed to be recalled. There was something he had to do, but could not remember -did not want to remember.

He had a mission, a quest of some kind; there was something he needed to do down in the depths of Mementos. Something that required him guiding the others, some secret goal to be achieved there. The more Morgana chased that line of thinking, the faster the fog slipped through his paws. Despite that, his objective was bright and clear, no matter how confused over his purpose he was.

“And, if the truth of that comes to pass down in the depths of Mementos, I…” The longer he searched, and the deeper they wandered, the more real that thought became. It was a true possibility at this point, as unspoken as it was, that he was not actually a human. But, if he wasn’t human, what was he?

He… He wasn’t a shadow, was he?

“Could it be that I’ll…” Morgana didn’t finish that thought, didn’t want to think about it. If he acknowledged it, he would start to feel that he could no longer stay here. Turning his head, he looked over to the sleeping face of his friend and leader. Akira looked so at peace.

“Akira…”

Morgana desperately wanted to learn the truth, but there was a part of him that was deeply terrified to d so. If the truth was, that he was not human, that he was indeed something born deep in the shadows of mementos and didn’t belong among the humans he cherished, he would everything he had come to know. If he was forced to choose between the life he had had now, and the truth behind the life he’d once had, what would he do?

What was he willing to sacrifice to learn the truth? And, was that truly worth it?

Morgana could only hope so.

When he awoke in the Velvet Room, Akechi knew at once that something was wrong. In his mind, Loki, and the newly acquired Robin Hood buzzed with nervous, fearful energy. Carefully standing up, the brunette youth wandered to the locked door to his cell with the hesitance and nervousness of a beaten puppy. From beyond the fringes of his chestnut bangs, he meekly looked over at Igor, feeling small and weak in the other’s presence.

Though Igor often summoned him here for any number of reasons and whims, the boy knew instantly that the long-nosed man had not called him here simply to talk in riddles. Igor was not happy with him, the brunette could feel it in the pit of his churning stomach. Seconds trickled by like molasse in the dead of winter as the strange man sat behind his desk unassumingly. Fear left him on edge, every muscle in his body wound up like a stressed spring seconds away from snapping.

“Akechi Goro,” Igor drawled, finally, voice rumbling like thunder before it crackled and lightning flashed.

“Y-yes?” He stammered, wringing his bare hands nervously.

Though Igor looked harmless, unassuming, Akechi knew from experience that looks were deceiving. The man’s face was a mask of catharsis; mouth dragged into its usual toothy grin, eyes beady as they bulged from wide sockets, spindly and gaunt fingers raping lightly against the medium grain of his desk. Behind it all was a cruelty that made all his previous abusers look like harmless kittens.

“I see you have encountered the trickster, what do you make of him?” He asked lightly.

“He’s, curious,” Akechi replied cautiously. “A plain, unassuming boy- you’d never expect him to be a thief at first glance, but behind that facade is a fierce heart. Defeating him won’t be easy by any means, especially not that he’s gathered quite the group of people, all rallied to his cause.”

It was a safe answer, or so he hoped. Kurusu Akira truly was an interesting boy, Akechi could see why the other was chosen to be a wildcard. From the raven’s unassuming, plain disposition, he hadn’t anticipated the boy to be so adamantly against him. Calling the Phantom Thieves justice itself like that- and on live TV no less- knowing he was going against public opinion, his opinion. Akechi hadn’t been lying when he told the other he wanted to speak another time. The honesty of the other truly was refreshing.

Even if it was all a lie.

“Hmm, is that so? It’s clear to see that you are unaware of what has transpired, so I will enlighten you,” Igor said plainly.

The long-nosed man pulled a card from nothing and left it hovering upright over the surface of the dest. At first, Akechi thought it was the fool card, his card. Upon closer inspection, he found the design was all wrong, and printed at the bottom was the roman numeral for 12, not zero. The brunette felt ice water run down his spine.

No- but he’d, he'd only engaged in light conversation!

“Number 12, justice, an interesting choice for the leader of a band of thieves,” Igor observed.

“But, I- I didn’t-“ The chestnut brunette boy pleaded, pale and trembling from fear.

“I recall at the start, explicitly telling you that such bonds were unnecessary, that they would only be a distraction,” Igor drawled, fingers tapping lightly against the desk. With the airy way he spoke, and the casual way he rested his head on one hand, it might have been hard to tell this was anything but a casual conversation. But, Akechi knew. “though, you did not mean to get involved with another, I cannot just simply let this go.”

With a snap of Igor’s thin fingers, the door to the isolation cell swung open with a loud creaking noise. The chains attached to the brunette’s wrists and ankles jerked, yanking his limbs in odd ways, effectively restraining him. Any pleas for mercy would fall on deaf, uncaring pointed ears- Akechi knew this from past experience. Tears burned his eyes as his cell door swung open, and unseen hands dragged him out.

He did not struggle, did not scream, did not let his tears fall. In his mind, Loki and Robin Hood thrashed desperately despite knowing it was a futile effort. Bulging eyes watched as the phantom force tossed him into the smaller cell, shutting the door behind him. The moment it was closed and locked behind him, the ties to his personas snaped like a fraying string.

Though the door was made of open bars, the soft light of the Velvet Room did not reach him, leaving the boy trapped in darkness. The only noise came from himself, the sound of Igor’s tapping lost. There was only so much silence his own voice could fill, especially after having grown used to Loki’s wordless grunts and Robin Hood's soft murmuring. Trapped in the dark and the dead quiet- when his voice finally failed him- the isolation finally began to grate on his already broken psyche.

When Shido was displeased with him, the balding man would resort to physical punishment; either beating the brunette himself, or (more likely) having some yakuza beat him until his bones felt bruised and every muscle felt stiff. Everyone was always extra careful to leave his face as untouched as possible; it wouldn’t do for the golden boy of the police force to walk into an interview with a black eye and split lip. Akechi was well acquainted with pain of all varieties; there was little he hadn’t experienced at the hands of selfish individuals.

Igor did none of that.

When he was displeased with Akechi’s performance of ‘childish defiance’, Igor did not resort to physical violence. No, instead the man used a more psychological approach. The isolation cell trapped him in darkness and quiet, cut him off from the comfort of his persona(s). This extreme situation exacerbated his already damaged and traumatized mind. He would be locked up in the small cell for what felt like hours, or even days at a time, until his mind tapered off into terrified babbling and he was clawing at the harsh concrete of the floors and walls, ruining his fingers into a bloody mess.

The brunette wasn’t sure how long he was left in there, only that it felt like a long time. Igor explained once, after the first time he was locked up, that this room existed outside of reality’s time and space. It meant that while his body self soundly overnight, his mind could be locked up for days at a time. The moment he was free, Robin Hood and Loki rushed to his mental side, working at once to pick up the broken pieces and try to put him back together.

Huddling into a ball on his cot, he felt Igot’s eyes on him.

“Let this be a reminder to not disobey my orders a second time, I will not be so lenient again,” Igor warned him.

Akechi woke from the nightmare the same as always; jerking awake in a rush of voiceless screaming and wild panic. Sweating and shaking, he didn’t recognize his surroundings- he never did. He always woke from his numerous nightmares feeling like a stranger in an unfamiliar room. Gulping down raspy breath after raspy breath, his personas stirred.

Be at ease now, master.

Calm down, it was only a nightmare.

Even your breathing, see now that you are safe.

Coming down from his panic, the brunette remembered where he was. He was on the couch in the Niijima household, where he’d been brought after the final fight with Shido. Sae and Makoto had argued about pulling out a spare futon, or giving up a bed to him, but he’d remained steadfast with his insistence on sleeping on the sofa for the night. Though he was a guest, he did not want to inconvenience the sisters.

Akechi was glad he was alone. Or, as alone as he could be with three additional presences in his mind. The brunette had been wakening from nightmares, alone, for most of his life, and wasn’t sure if he could take having an actual person find out about them just yet. The nightmares were a constant occurrence after his mother died; waking him up several times throughout the night, robbing him of consistent sleep. As the years passed, the constant abuse only fueled his night terrors. If he wasn’t dreaming about his mother’s death, it was some amalgamation of nearly dying at the hands of a ‘loving guardian’.

Soon enough, the panic subsided enough for him to enter some parody of calm. It was enough that he could lay back down and close his eyes without flinching. A quick glance at his phone informed him it was a little after midnight. He needed sleep, tomorrow would be a long day. And a long-awaited one.

[Futaba]: Sheesh, everything I see is just election this and election that!

[Futaba]: Is this some kinda festival?

[Haru]: The candidates are working extra hard. After all, voting does take place later today.

[Ann]: Still nothing from Shido…?

[Ryuji]: Did that bastard just blow the whole thing off?

[Futaba]: Do you think we should cut into another TV broadcast?

[Goro]: No!

[Akira]: Let’s wait for now.

[Akira]: We know from experience, these things can take some time.

[Ann]: I agree. We don’t wanna stick out too much right now.

[Haru]: He’ll likely give some kind of speech after the election.

[Ryuji]: And when’s that gonna be?

[Makoto]: Assuming it’s after the results come in, tonight.

[Makoto]: I can only hope he actually confesses his crimes…

[Goro]: He better.

[Akira]: For now, let’s just wait and see what happens.

Beside him, Morgana stretched and yawned, the tips of his claws catching the threads of his old sheets. “Our job’s finished. All we can do now is sit back and watch.” The black feline mumbled sleepily.

“Un,” The raven-haired teen grunted, rolling his shoulder and feeling the joint pop.

It was Sunday morning; no school for anyone. The election results wouldn’t be tallied and counted until the evening, so they had the entire day to waste until then. Everyone would do their own thing until it was time to meet up in Leblanc for their victory party.

Since he was most likely resuming school once Shido’s change of heart happened, Akira 'planned’ (see: conspired) with Ann and Ryuji to introduce Goro to both Shiho and Mishima. It would be a small lunchtime get-together at the Hilton buffet. Now that Akechi was officially free of Shido’s influence, hopefully free of Igor’s clutches, and finally on the road to recovery, Akira figured it was high time to expand the other wildcard’s social circle a bit more. The brunette was making good progress with the thieves, so the raven figured introducing the detective to his confidants and their friends and family was a good next step.

Mishima and Shiho were fairly mellow people, despite the former’s fanatical habits, and knew what it’s like to be crushed under the heel of someone stronger than them. They seemed like good picks. The raven also had plans to introduce the brunette to Takemi after breakfast. The doctor of death, and the person who’d checked up on him while sleeping. The punk-goth woman was fairly mellow and casual, a good place to start for a person who’d been emotionally isolated from people for so long and likely didn’t have many healthy interactions with adults other than Sae and Sojiro.

Shiming out of the grey sweats and dark long-sleeve he slept in, the raven-haired teen threw on a clean dark gray shirt and the same black jacket as he always wore when heading outside. Descending the stairs with Mona riding on his shoulders, Akira stepped into the café to find a plate of curry and rice waiting for him. At the bar, Futaba was scarfing down a plate of her own. On the other side of his breakfast was a plate with some odd white meat that looked either like tuna or chicken. Morgana’s breakfast, no doubt.

Futaba waved at him as he approached, free hand shoveling more food into her waiting mouth. Sojiro nodded in his direction, standing in front of the stove as the older raven-haired man prepared a fresh pot of curry for the day. Sliding into his usual chair, Akira grabbed his spoon and began eating. Beside him, Morgana purred as he bit into breakfast, clearly satisfied with Boss’s choice for breakfast.

“So, got any fun plans for the day?” Sojiro asked, one eyebrow quirked up.

“ ‘M going to ah’ planetarium with Makoto and Haru,” The ginger-haired girl chortled in between bites of mood.

“I’m going to be introducing Akechi to a few of my associates, help him readjust to other people and whatnot,” Akira replied.

“Heh,” The older man chuckled. “well, as long as you two don’t get into any trouble, or somehow burn half the city down, you're free to do whatever you guys feel like.”

“Don’t worry, no fire should be involved.” The raven-haired teen said.

“Yeah, but I make no promises about the power grid!” Futaba chimed in.

Sojiro shot his adopted daughter a mock dirty look. “you better not, I’ll revoke Featherman privileges- and you know I can do that!”

“Daaaad!” She groaned.

Akira found himself laughing at the early morning antics of the father-daughter pair. This is what family meals should feel like; warm and social. He was going to miss moments like this when he returned home. If he returned home. It was weird; at first, he couldn’t imagine a life outside of his sleepy little hometown, now, he couldn’t picture a life outside of Tokyo.

Life was odd like that. Not that he would have it any other way. The friends he’d made, he wouldn’t give up for the world.

“Sounds like people are having fun,” A soft voice lightly observed.

“That it does, did something good happen?” A second voice, cool and poised agreed.

“Mako-to!” Futaba squealed.

The brunette girl waved slightly, offering them all a polite smile as the pair shuffled in. Standing side-by-side like that, it was almost comical how similar Goro and Mokoto looked. Wine-red eyes only a few shades different from each other –Goro’s were a tad darker, like the color of blood, while Maokoto’s were a smidge lighter, like the skin of a ripe apple- and brunette hair, the two could almost be mistaken for siblings, twins even.

“Sojiro was just making Futaba swear she wouldn’t overload the city’s power grid, or else she’s grounded from Featherman for the next several weeks.” Akira supplemented.

“I was only joking!” The petite ginger girl whined. “As if I’d actually do something like that!”

“I’d recommend making a joke that doesn’t involve a skill of yours, it’s much harder to be taken literally that way,” Goro informed her.

Mokoto and Goro sipping on cups of coffee while they waited for the others to finish eating. Haru arrived not long after, light brunette curls bouncing as she smiled and waved. One cup of coffee and several spoonfuls of curry later, everyone was done eating and ready to leave. The tiro of girls slipped out of the café, bell jangling softly behind them as they paraded off to the planetarium.

Akechi savored his coffee as his pointer and middle fingers scratched at Morgana’s favorite spot; right underneath his chin. The two boys basked in the silence of the small café as Akira ate his breakfast at a moderate pace. When curry was eaten and the coffee was gone, the pair passed their soiled dishes off to Sojiro, murmuring thanks before slipping out of the café for the day.

Takemi’s clinic was just down the road from Leblanc- part of the reason she frequented the café almost every day. Swinging the door to the waiting room open, they found the dark-haired woman seated at her usual spot in the reception booth, lips painted a dark shade of crimson, board eyes scanning over a magazine resting on the counter. At the sound of the bell, dark eyes rimmed in black glanced up as the pair walked in, those painted lips quirked into a small smirk.

“Hello Guinea pig, and what can I do for you today?” She asked.

Goro quirked an eyebrow at him.

“I helped her develop a drug a while back, and part of that help was being her test subject for various trial formulas,” Akira explained with a shrug.

“It’s as he said, he helped me, and not just with the drug,” Takemi’s eyes twinkled with mirth. “I owe him and his merry band of friends a great deal.”

Akechi chuckled. “Yes, I seem to be finding myself in a similar situation,”

Akira beamed with pride. Yes, praise me more. It was in these instances the raven acted more like a cat than the feline riding in his bag, even if said feline denied being a cat.

“It’s good to see you’re doing better,” The abnormally dressed doctor observed. “I performed an at-home examination on you while you were unconscious a few days ago. Hmm, still a bit thin and pale, make sure to eat three full meals a day,”

“A-ah, then you were…”

“The one who cleaned up your wrists? Yes. Don’t worry, only Guinea pig and myself saw them, and it isn’t my place to judge you. I’m a physician with a license in pharmaceuticals, not your shrink.” She hummed. “we, also saw your back- part of it. You’ve been through a lot,”

“…Yeah,” Goro agreed in a small voice. “some days, I wake up still surprised to be alive.”

The two (three counting Morgana) linger a bit longer in the reception area. Akira inquired as to how life was treating the older woman. It was nice to hear the stigma her superior had cursed her with was finally starting to clear. It was sad there were still those who refused the truth, even after Oyamada’s public confession. Eventually, the scorn she’d endured from her time as the plague would vanish.

The same would happen for Goro. One day, the trauma that weighed the brunette down, the aftermath of the abuse he’d endured at the hands of the selfish and greedy, could be put behind him. Akira would be there to help see that day come, they all would.


	9. Chapter 9

It was nearly lunchtime by the time Takemi got around to shooing the pair out of her clinic, the three of them had burned through nearly the entire morning chatting away. The visit to Takemi’s clinic hadn’t been totally spent on chatting away; Akira had remembered to pause the conversation long enough to restock the thieves' nearly empty stores of medical supplies. The 5 phase fight with Shido’s shadow had done a number on their supplies. Goro watched the exchange curiously, eyes observing the transition with the scrutiny of the same bird that his codename was pulled from.

Stepping back out into the quiet streets of Yongen-Jaya, Akira guided his human companion to the train station. Neither said anything as they paid the fair and wandered over to the platform. With the number of people standing in wait for the train, you might have mistaken it for a workday, instead of Sunday. With the Mona bag tucked under one arm, and Goro’s gloved hand gripping his other wrist, the small group crammed themselves into one of the many overcrowded train cars.

Despite practically being squished against the bodied of various strangers, Akira absentmindedly readjusted the hood of his dark jacket back over the worst of his mop of raven-colored curls. The younger teen was doing a shit job of hiding his features, not that he was particularly worried about being spotted at this point. Between the resulting chaos from the final influx of voting before the election, and the doubt generated by the calling card, Shido’s cronies likely had their hands more than full with damage control at the moment. Akira and Goro were likely the least of their concerns.

Clutching the raven’s wrist like a lifeline, Goro was much more nervous about their shared situation. The brunette maintained a firm hold on his wrist; not tight enough to hurt, but firm enough that he wouldn't easily let go. Good luck to the hypothetical person who would dare to pull them apart. Every so often, the older teen would pull his hood down low to keep it covering his eyes and most of his hair. The detective had lived nearly three years under the control of those people, and knew best what they were capable of doing to get what they wanted.

Most of it was paranoia that originated from the abuse in his childhood; the skills he’d acquired under constant adversity and suffering to keep himself alive. They had served him well in that new environment of suspicion and murder.

It made Akira wonder; was Goro nervous by nature of large crowds? His public persona, the beloved second detective prince, was used to being jumped on and hounded by fans and the media- things that resulted in people crowding around him. But it could just be part of the mask he used to be presentable to the public. The boy with him now; the one holding tight to his wrist and watching everyone around them like a nervous rabbit, this Goro was a stark contrast to the same boy who had stared into gymnasium packed with eager students only a few short months ago. The contexed between then and now were different, but the sentiment was still there.

So, just where are you spiriting me off to?” Goro mumbled out when things were finally no longer so cramped.

“Oh, just someplace for lunch,” Akira hummed.

Blood colored eyes glared smoldering daggers into his shoulder. The raven remained unaffected by the look and responded by tossing a playful grin over his shoulder.

“No place dangerous, I promise,” Akira elaborated. “We’re meeting up with an and a few of my friends from school to have lunch,”

“…Alright,” Goro conceded.

It was slow going, but Akira felt like he was quietly working Goro out of his shell, bit by bit.

The trip from Yongen to the Wilton Hotel was thankfully short, thanks to the train, even if being crammed in like sardines was uncomfortable. The heat generated from the mass of bodies crammed together in the subway car was sweltering, enough to make Akira feel somewhat flushed in his light winter jacket. Both boys breathed a cool sigh of relief when they could finally drag themselves out of the cramped space and onto the less crowded station platform. Morgana freed his head from the bag and meowed his own quiet sigh of relief, glad to be free from being smushed and crushed against strangers while trapped in a bag.

Akira guided Akechi from the station to their desired destination. The grandiose building stood out against the muted skyscrapers and lesser apartment buildings like a flowering tree in full bloom did among pine trees. Goro seemed to recognize the place (who didn’t) as they approached, but said nothing as Akira walked into the lobby as if this was all normal. And, considering how many times he’d visited this place, it kinda did feel normal. Some of the lavishly dressed patrons, and many of the staff, cast the boys curious or disgruntled looks as Akira boldly marched them to the –thankfully- empty elevator and hit the floor with the buffet.

A kind-faced waiter recognized the raven, and guided the pair to the table where Ann was already voraciously digging into a thick slice of cheesecake Shiho sat next to the blond, quietly eating a more moderately sized dessert at a slower rate. Across from the dark-haired girl, Mishima was also quietly eating his own plate; some kind of meat dish with a side of rice.

“Hey-a!” Ann waved. “We got here not too long ago- would have got you both a plate but none of us could decide on what to get you two,”

“Takamaki wanted to get some –really- strange food choices,” Mishima sighed. “It took both me and Suzui to convince her a place of fried bananas and beans wouldn’t fly,”

Bananas and beans again. Cried out softly as he rolled his eyes, and Akira used all of his self-control not to burst out laughing on the spot. Goro gave him a confused look as Ann chuckled sheepishly. He hadn’t been there when they’d had their first victory feast here, and how that nearly ended with Ann and Ryuji giving him and Morgana some of the most ‘exotic’ food options available. Mostly strange beans. It had all mixed together into a rather funky looking mess.

“Thanks, I think I’ll go get some actual food,” Akira chuckled.

“…I think I’ll just sit down for now,” Akechi murmured.

“That’s fine, I’ll make you a plate while I’m up,” The raven replied, passing Morgana and his bag to the brunette. “don’t worry, I promise not to be too adventurous with my selection.”

Before Goro could quip back, Akira was already half-way towards the sprawling buffet. Huffing quietly, the brunette sat down and placed the cat back down next to him. The detective knew it would be considered rude, but still kept his hood up. Goro was comfortable enough around Takamaki and Morgana, and the two students sharing the tale with them were fairly tolerable people. The atmosphere of excessiveness, being around so many expensively dressed people, and the money-saturated environment of the hotel as a whole was making his skin crawl. He really didn’t like ritzy places like these all that much.

Though he wasn't exactly openly hostile, Goro wasn't all that open and sociable either. It was obvious the two semi-strangers wanted to say something, maybe even hold a conversation with him, but the awkwardness between the three of them made it hard to get their words out. Not at all surprising, whether or not they recognized who he was, the image he was cutting at the moment wasn’t exactly a sociable one. Goro himself wasn’t so much in a non-sociable mood as he was unsure of how to talk with people who weren’t phantom thieves. Akira had done most of the talking with Takemi, and had quietly guided him through it.

“Well, I’m out of desert, off to get more!” Ann announced. The blond seemed partly oblivious to the tense atmosphere.

Absconding from the stifling atmosphere with the speed and urgency only a thief out to feed her sweet-tooth could pozes, the blond girl retreated back over to the buffet to claim more sugary treats. Finding himself alone with a cat and people he hardly knew, Goro tugged his hood down low, he could feel the other's eyes on him. The brunette was used to being the center of attention, and for the longest time managed to convince himself he liked it, but this was different.

“You’re Akechi Goro, right?” The boy- Mishima- spoke up. “The detective prince who’s always speaking out against the Phantom Thieves,”

Goro had no reason to lie, so he nodded. “… Yeah,”

“Wow, really?” Suzui breathed. “Ann did say she got to talk with you both during the social studies trip and during the school festival, but I didn’t think she and Akira were that close to you.” The shy girl’s smile was soft and warm, like a beam of early morning sunlight.

“…It’s a bit complicated,” The brunette mumbled. Threading his gloved fingers through Morgana's short, dark fur, the detective sought comfort in his ‘animal’ companion.

“Yeah,” Mishima agreed. “It’s kinda obvious there’s something between you all,” The meek boy shrugged. “just like it’s obvious you're in some kind of trouble. I don’t think the charismatic detective would normally be caught dead in freckles and a hoodie.”

Goro rolled his eyes. It still felt nerve-wracking to walk around in public with a bare face; no concealer to make him picture-perfect. Though, it wasn’t like he had a reason to be perfectly photogenic at the moment. He was in hiding for the time being, the less he stood out, the better. It wasn't as if he was going to be partaking in an interview or public event any time soon. Morgana purred as his gloved fingers scratched just under the dark feline’s chin.

Suzui Shiho and Mishima Yuuki watched him curiously. This was a completely different Akechi Goro from the media darling they’d seen on TV; he wasn’t bold, cheerful, and certainly not boisterous, nor was he radiating his usual charisma. The way the brunette presented himself; quiet, shy, meek, more withdrawn than either of them back when they were Kamoshida’s punching bags –if that was even possible, was in stark contrast to his public image.

“…You’ve been hurt by people like Kamoshida in the past, haven't you,” Suzui mused softly. A quiet realization as the ex-volleyball starter pieced everything together.

Akechi paused in his ministrations of scratching Morgana, frozen, then shot the raven-haired girl a wary, critical look. Suzui remained unfazed by his look, only offered him a soft, understanding one in response. It was then Goro remembered that he knew, vaguely, of these two. Suzui was Takamaki’s close childhood friend, and though she had never been bullied in the past, had been thoroughly abused by the vile gym teacher who took advantage of the girls’ bonds. Mishima had a stable home life; present parents with financial security, but had grown up being teased and bullied for his meek nature and interest in programming. Pressured by his parents to join the famed volleyball team, he became a favorite among the boy’s team to be beaten and mocked by Kamoshida.

While they didn’t have the excessive laundry list of trama and issues Goro sported. Both had endured their fair share of abuse. He could understand quite well the suffering both had endured.

Though, unlike them, the brunette often didn’t have the luxury of a (relatively) safe homelife to escape to. Often, the detective would endure a hellish school day only to return to a hame that was just as bad, if not worse.

“…Yeah, I’ve endured my fair share of Kamoshidas. And people even worse than him.” The brunette detective admitted quietly, sighing.

“A-ah,” Mishima stuttered. “guess I had you pegged all wrong.”

“You’re not the first; I’ve deliberately kept my life as an orphan secret from the media,” Akechi hummed. “and, it’s not like I ever let the public see my true self.”

The quiet awkwardness returned with a vengeance. The pair seemed unsure of how to proceed with the conversation, now that they were seeing the real person behind the mask. It was jarring to see just how much of the brunette’s ditzy, preppy attitude was an act; a mask to make himself likable to the masses. Goro wasn’t so different from them, but words did they have to articulate that? How could they express themselves?

“Heh, now it makes sense,” Mishima chuckled.

Suzui cast him a questioning look.

“I dunno what Takamaki said to you, but when Akira called to invite me, he said there was this person he wanted me to meet. A friend of his who was struggling with his own set of demons, and who might benefit from interacting with people who’ve endured shit and come out alive.” The phantom fanatic explained.

Suzui smiled. “Ann didn’t put it quite like that. She said there was this friend of hers who had been through a lot, and might benefit from having a friend like me.”

“…That sounds like them all right,” Akechi muttered.

“Yeah, they're a bit nosey at times, and don’t exactly have the best tact, but they are always there when you need ‘em,” Mishima agreed. “Though, I am a bit curious, what exactly is your connection with them?”

Rubbing small circles behind one of Morgana’s ears, earning himself more contented purrs from the black ‘cat’, Goro considered how to respond to that. “Well, currently I’m a member of the team- though it still baffles me how accepting they are, after everything I’ve done to them.”

“That’s just the kind of people they are; irrationally kind and supportive,” Suzui pointed out with a soft chuckle. “When I was relearning how to walk, Ann was always there to keep me motivated. Seeing how strong and determined she’d become, it encouraged me to keep going.”

“Same here; when I had my little stint of becoming an attention hog, Akira talked me down and reminded me why I made the Phan-Site in the first place!” Mishima agreed.

“…Heh, I can say they’ve done something similar for me, and let’s leave it at that.” Akechi chuckled.

After that, it was as if a thick sheet of ice had been smashed to pieces. Though Akechi preferred to watch and listen, the pair was able to coax him into a conversation. He felt comfortable enough to speak to them, the same way he did with Takamaki Ann and Akira. So caught up in the moment, Goro nearly missed when the gentle voice began whispering those haunting words in his mind’s ear.

I am thou, thou art I, though has formed new vows…

“Mission accomplished?” Ann asked her partner in crime.

The pair had been watching the entire time as Mishima and Shiho had slowly broken through to Goro, all from the safety of the buffet. The lunch meeting had been Ann’s idea; she figured Shiho would be a good person to introduce Akechi to. Akira had agreed to the plan, and proposed adding Mishima into the mix, considering how mild-mannered and meek he was. The start had been rocky, and they had been worried it might end up a total bust.

Thankfully, Mishima and Shiho had managed to pull through. The pair had been blind-sided when it was Mishima who managed to steer things towards an ice breaker. Ann had bet on Shiho. Well, all’s well that ends well.

“Well, considering they’re all talking like friends, I’d say so,” Akira replied.

Grabbing their food, the pair made their return to the table.

“We’re back!” Ann sang, sliding back into her spot. Her plate was piled high with various different tarts, cakes, cookies, puddings- so many different deserts it was a tad surprising everything fit at all.

Akira had more variety; rice, baked salmon for mona, a potato dish of some kind, basically what looked like a bit of everything. The plate he set down in front of Goro, however, only had one thing; a stack of three pancakes with melting butter, syrup, and whip cream. The brunette eyed his meal with restrained eagerness.

Until he spied his three fellow thieves snickering in the corner of his vision.

“What?!” He growled.

“I-I’m sorry! It’s just, so on point!” Ann giggled.

The detective didn’t get Ann’s reaction. Nor did he understand why Morgana was shaking his head, or why Akira was snickering. What was so funny about him eating pancakes? Goro wracked his brain over all of his previous interactions with the thieves. He never made mention of favoring pancakes in Sae’s palace, nor did he bring up anything so personal while investigating the group.

Wait, there was that one time…

“Kurusu!” Goro hissed.

Akira said nothing as he chuckled quietly. Suzui and Mishima, unaware of what the inside joke was, watched with puzzled expressions as the detective glared bloody murder at the raven-haired boy with glasses beside him. While Ann worked not to kill herself with laughter.

Pancakes, the words that unknowingly gave him away.

[Futaba]: This is it! The election is upon us!

[Makoto]: Unfortunately, public opinion hasn’t changed at all.

[Makoto]: Shido will most likely win in a landslide victory.

[Yusuke]: It seems his change of heart will be coming too late.

[Ann]: We’ll just have to see what happens. We’ve done all we can.

[Yusuke]: That reminds me, the video of us declaring war against him never showed up on TV.

[Ryuji]: Seriously!?

[Haru]: I was wondering about that.

[Futaba]: The TV stations were probably pressured not to show it.

[Makoto]: Most likely. I don’t think that’s something Shido’s influence alone could have accomplished.

[Makoto]: The true cause of this might exist elsewhere…

[Goro]: Remember, he does have several influential people backing him.

[Goro]: Some of them in the media, and it would harm them as well in the long run if Shido is portrayed in a negative light…

[Ryuji]: I dunno that I really get it, but all we can do now is wait for the change of heart, yeah?

[Futaba]: Yep.

[Haru]: Let’s wait for the election results as well.

Shido stood before the numerous cameras, wearing his usual proud smirk as the crowd around him chanted and beloved loud ‘hoorays’ over his victory. When the cheering finally died down, that he wouldn’t have to talk over the excessive din, he brought the microphone in his hands to his lips.

“My election is the result of every citizen’s aid. Your support warms my heart!” As his words sank into the waiting crowd, he let his boisterous expression drop into a mourning one. “That’s why… That is exactly why… I cannot forgive myself!”

People began frantically murmuring to each other, whispers of concern and curiosity created an ambient white noise. The men standing to either side of Shido recoiled in visible shock.

“The reason President Okumura passed away is… I am the one who killed him.” Shido admitted. As he confessed, the men flailed about in panic, looking to the people off-screen for direction. The man in drab gray signaled to the camera crew just out of sight, making a frantic gesture to cut the broadcast.

“I also manipulated the information that the Phantom Thieves were behind the series of incidents.” The bland man’s voice cracked and wavered as he continued, voice splintering under the weight of his newfound guilt and sorrow. “The one who controlled the hearts of others and gave rise to the countless victims… is myself.” A sob threatened to quiet him, steal his voice away, and leave him mute.

Shido collected himself; he had to do this. He had to confess these sins of his with his own mouth. “I was all for my own promotion… I manipulated a child for my own selfish gain.”

The drab man said something unheard to the people off-screen, gesturing frantically for them to just. Cut. The. Broadcast. Already! Wide-eyed crew members scrambled, those that weren’t rooted in place from the shock. It was utter chaos. Everyone was in a panic from Shido's sudden confession.

“I’ve even used people’s lives as stepping stones in order to claim this country as my own ship. I am a true criminal that can be tried for any crime, and it still wouldn’t be enough!” Gripping the microphone tight, he felt the plastic creak and groan under the pressure. “I will confess everything! Please, I beg everyone to pass judgment on me…

“If I could atone for all I’ve done with my life, I request that I be judged at once…” Shido let his voice taper off, the hands gripping the microphone in a deathly vice dripping to his sides limply.

Men frantically scrambled around him while the murmurs of the audience grew in volume.

“Hell Yeaaaaaah!” Ryuji cheered, laughing and grinning over their apparent victory.

“Everyone, raise your glass.” Sojiro urged, leading them to a toast. The man cleared his throat. “Allow me to say a few words… Now then…”

“He’s started taking charge,” Futaba grumbled, slumping against the wooden divider of the booth seats as she huffed.

“Come now, don’t be that way.” Makoto soothed.

“If you’re gonna complain, say it to Shido.” The girl’s foster father humorously barked. “A legislator’s pin’s worth almost nothing.” Ignoring the way the ginger-haired girl rolled her eyes, he continued. “Well then, so, since the source of evil, Masayoshi Shido, has been-”

Perhaps it was finally starting to sink in, for all of them. Futaba found her chest tight with a myriad of emotions.

“I got to avenge… my mom. It’s all… thanks… to everyone.” She said slowly, voice trembling. “Thanks-” Before the ginger-haired hacker could say more, her voice cut out in a small fit of sobbing and sniffling. Akira gave their youngest member a soothing head pat, she’d earned it.

“I was able to settle a debt in regards to my father as well.” Haru put in with a small sigh.

“We all worked so hard for this…” Ann said, brushing the dew of tears from her eyes.

Beside her, Haru began to cry as well, finally able to put old guilt and pain to rest. Despite his skills in compartmentalizing emotions, Goro found grief and relief over this turn of events creeping upon him as well.

“Shido’s guilty, right, sis?” Makoto asked.

“…It’ll be difficult to prosecute him immediately,” Sae answered carefully. “But, I’ll do this thoroughly until the causality between his other crimes can be proven.” Her voice was firm and adamant, Sae would do this. “I believe Wakaba-san’s research results will save Japan.”

“We could testify too, you know?” Ryuji offered.

“Thank you, but I’ll be fine. I don’t wish to add any more unwanted suspicions on any of you.” She said courteously. “It’s about time you let us adults prove that we can get out act together.”

“If it’s you at the helm, I think we can relax,” Akechi quipped. Both of them shared a soft chuckle.

“Hey, so, what about this guy’s education?” Sojiro brought up.

“The conspiracy will have their hands full with Shido’s change of heart, they’ll be too distracted to notice our leader’s return to society.” The brunette detective replied lightly.

“And I agree,” Sae added. “It should be fine for him to return to school. It’s true that your face will be recognized among those involved… But, I doubt they’ll take a firm action like suddenly coming to arrest him.”

“Not while the public is still in an uproar over your ‘suicide’ and Shido’s confession.” Goro reasoned. “Besides, I’m a much more dangerous thread to leave loose, considering my ties to everything. They will likely try and hunt me down first.”

“But, eventually you both, and, perhaps even myself, will be used as scapegoats.” Sae reminded her young partner.

“…You mean, in regard to faking his death,” Sojiro said. The older man huffed. “That wouldn’t have happened to begin with had the police done their job properly.”

Akira placed a firm hand on the brunette’s shoulder as the other youth nestled his lower face in his folded arms. They hadn’t talked much about that, there hadn’t been time to with all that happened these last few days. Perhaps, they should correct that error, soon.

“That is true,” Sae agreed somberly. “I plan on doing everything I can. I will protect you all this time. Prosecuting Shido is that first step.”

“Hey… When are we going to make that toast?” Yusuke inquired.

The blunette’s impacientness broke through the flow of grim reality, reminding everyone this was a celebration. Whether intentional or not, the question seemed to disarm the heavy atmosphere rather quickly, letting the joy and humor from earlier seep back in.

“Right. Let’s get to it!” Sojiro replied. “Uhh, today is truly-”

“Cheeeeers!” Ryuji exclaimed, hijacking the situation.

“Cheers!” Everyone else cheered in unison, leaving a flustered Sojiro to flounder about.

“No, wai- Hey!” The older barista grappled.

“Cheers.” Sae put in calmly, raising her glass. At that moment, her phone began buzzing. Unpocketing the device, she peered down at the screen. Her once cheerful and humorous expression darkened to something more concerned.

“I need to go.” She explained, a silent apology in her voice. “It seems Shido’s been transferred to a hospital.” The ashen haired woman turned to leave, but paused before taking a step. “Oh, one more thing. It’s fine to celebrate, but keep it in moderation, OK?” She tossed over her shoulder. “Considering that he’s finally back, all of you need to take your education seriously again.”

Sae’s stern reminder didn’t ruin the light mood, but it was a sobering reminder this wasn’t over. For just about everyone present, life would resume as if nothing had happened; Goro was the only off man out. He still won't be able to attend class- not that he was able to regularly attend in the first place. The detective wasn’t worried; at this point, his school didn’t give a damn about his attendance anymore, and his grades were at the top of his year, so there was no danger of him falling behind.

Somehow, Ryuji (and Ann, but mainly Ryuji) managed to convince everyone to finish off their victory celebration with a trip to the bathhouse. Before Goro could protest and try and offer an alternative, Akira was throwing a change of clothes at him and dragging him out the door, hot on the heels of the rest of the group. Goro had no choice but to submit himself to the whims of his friend and leader.

This would be the first time in several years Goro would be visiting a bathhouse. Definitely the first time since he’d moved into his apartment, which had a shower. Growing up, his mother had to work many odd jobs to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table, her primary one was prostitution. Bringing clients home was unavoidable at times; on those occasions, she would send her son off to the local bathhouse for an hour or so, until business was concluded and it was safe for him to return.

Not all of the foster homes, and certainly only a small few of the orphanages he lived in, had such amenities. While some had bathhouses available, not all of them did. Goro remembered those bathhouses, and how crowded they would be most nights; bodies crammed into the small tubs as people argued over the water temperature. It was hard to get a proper bath in.

Then, there were the homes where he used the public bathhouse simply because the brunette felt unsafe using the ones at ‘home’. He was 8 when Goro first truly saw the depths of human depravity, and, unfortunately, that man wasn’t the first to shove his twisted desires onto the young boy. They were only memories at this point; the feel of hands crawling across his flesh, of scalding mouths seemingly trying to devour him whole, the burn as his body was broken from the inside out. These were memories Goro kept locked away. Memories that made the brunette truly understand his mother’s plight as a sex worker.

Suffice to say, he had mixed emotions about bathhouses. So many different emotions thrown together about the same facility.

Lingering in the back of the changing room, Goro watched Ryuji and Yusuke race to the men’s bath first. The brunette still had deep-rooted anxiety about changing around others, both because of his scars and ‘other’ reasons. Akira tossed him a wayward smile, eyes soft with understanding. The raven didn’t say anything, didn’t need to say anything to convey his thoughts. The brunette was free to join them when he felt ready to do so.

Watching Akira’s back as the raven retreated to the bath, the detective sighed.

“So, how're you feeling?” Morgana's calm voice asked.

Goro bit back a scream, flailing as he nearly tripped and fell backward. The brunette had assumed Morgana had gone with Akira to join the others over by the bath. Calming his facing heart, the detective hot the black not-cat a hard look.

“Oh, did I startle you? I’m sorry.” The other replied slyly.

“Can-it, cat!” He growled. “What do you want?”

“Nothing, honest,” The other meowed. “I just noticed that you were still dressed while the others are enjoying the hot water already, and thought I’d see if anything was wrong.”

The brunette sighed, felt his teeth catch his bottom lip, and chew anxiously. How could he explain it in a way the not-cat would understand? It wasn’t just his scars, while they did play a major role in why he felt anxious being naked around others, the brunette had also been severely bullied over various aspects of his figure, to the point he felt, ashamed of his own body. Logically, he knew the others would understand, but there was that disconnect between logic and emotion. Between fear and understanding.

“Let’s, just say, that in the past people have said some very nasty and mean things about my body,” Goro said simply. “I’ve been teased about my scars, among other things.”

“Well, if it makes you feel better, Ryuji’s got this one scar on his leg, the one Kamoshida broke last year,” Morgana replied. “He was a bit self-conscious about it, still kinda is.”

“Heh, yes, well I figured. I have more obvious scars, and not all of them from people hurting me,” He ran a thumb over a clothed wrist. “And some are from people trying to do more than just hurt me,” The one on his neck burned. “And it isn’t just scars.”

“Humans are weird,” Morgana shrugged. “They find things like scars and tattoos on other people- things that don’t honestly concern them- to be strange or weird and then act like there’s something wrong with that person. It’s not like it's their body, so why should they act like it’s hurting anyone?”

“Because humans are selfish and hypocritical? And hate when things deviate from their sense of normal.”

“Meh, well, at least not everyone’s like that,” Mona pointed out soundly.

Goro felt marginally better about the situation, thanks entirely to Morgana’s little pep talk. He stuffed both sets of clothes into a coin locker, dirty in the back and clean in the front. The brunette detective wrapped a towel around his body, the same way girls did. He felt self-conscious, knowing the other three had all pranced out with their towels wrapped around their hips as any normal guy did, but Goro was most comfortable like this. Stepping out into the bath area, he pretended the slight flush on his cheeks was from the cloying steam that filled the room.

“Holy shit- Akechi,” He heard Ryuji breathe.

“…Yes?” He replied in a cloyingly sweet tone, putting on a brave face.

“Man dude, I almost didn’t recognize ya there, thought for a moment that one a’ the girls had accidentally walked in.” The blond said.

Goro huffed and crossed his arms, Ryuji really did have a bad habit of blurting out nearly anything that popped into his head. Besides the blond, Yusuke lifted his arms up, fingers coming together in that framing gesture many with an eye for detail were known to use. Akira chuckled and offered him a wolfish grin. The detective's body was, more androgynous than most of his peers, to the point of being more feminine than masculine. With a high waist that made his hips and legs seem wider, and the more sparing muscle placement, his body type had earned him a fair amount of unwanted attention.

Because of it, the brunette avoided wearing form-fitting clothes, instead choosing more loose shirts and pants that help to mask his feminine build and make him look bulkier. There was only one instant Goro had worn form-fitting clothes; when he’d work a suit for a police gala soon after becoming the second coming of the detective prince.

There had been alcohol present, and most people were drinking openly. Between the champagne and his clothes, many of the officers had mistaken him for a girl- specifically thinking him to be a younger sister of Sae. Goro had spent the entire night hiding by her side, having to rely on the older woman’s intimidating aura to avoid wandering hands and unwanted attention. She was the only one who knew.

“How stunning, it is rare to find a man with such a delicate shape, my fingers itch to start sketching,” Yusuke said wistfully. Akechi rolled his eyes, used to the blue-haired teen’s eccentric ways. It was far, far better than being ogled like eye candy.

Goro stood just far enough from the open tub that the steam obscured his scars, but as soon as he started approaching, they would all see. The detective held his tongue, averted his eyes as he climbed in. He heard Ryuji take in a sharp breath, felt eyes on his bare shoulders, and the scars that curled over them.

“Oh, ah, yikes,” the blond grimaced.

“Hmm, yes, they certainly do look like they must have hurt,” Yusuke agreed quietly.

“Their old scars, most of them. I have a few I acquired over the last two years from the metaverse,” The brunette detective whispered, rolling his shoulder joints to prove it.

The steam and hot water made the old tracks marking up and down his wrists look shiny and polished, like the painted and lacquered body of a plastic toy. “…I, want to thank you all,” Goro said quietly. “it was unlikely I would have beaten Shido by myself, and, even if I had, I wouldn’t still be here to celebrate.”

The marks on his wrists gave his words a weighted feel, an edge to them that otherwise would have not been present. Goro had spent so many years fantasizing about this day, the day his rotten sire would finally pay for his sins. In the end, it was rather cathartic. It was validating to know Shido considered using his son for murder as one of the many, many sins he would answer for. It gave the brunette hope that his mother’s death would be among them.

“I wonder, if my mom would be happy to know, that the man who ruined her life is finally paying,” He allowed himself to wonder aloud.

The brunette’s mother had been one of Shido’s many victims; one of the many stepping stones he crushed on his path to power. Vengeance for the only family he’d ever known was the reason the detective had hunted down his father in the first place. He didn’t know if she would have cared, by the end of her life she’d been worn thin from the stress. After joining the police force, Goro had looked into his mother’s death, a part of him refused to believe it had been intentional, had wanted to redeem her- wanting to prove the note she’d left behind wrong. In the end, he just confirmed her death was indeed a suicide.

The note hadn’t been tampered with, altered, or forged. Unlike Ishiki Wakaba, who’d truly loved her daughter to the very end (her final words had been sorrow over not being able to watch her grow up), his own had left bitter words of hate and anger. She had been broken by the weight of the world, and left him with his first scar.

“Can’t say for certain, never met her,” Ryuji said casually.

“Yes, the human heart is a fickle thing indeed,” Yusuke agreed with a small hum. “content one minute, dissatisfied the next, but that is just part of the charm.”

“And, does it really matter now?” Akira added. “You’re here now, you got revenge for the both of you, you can finally move on.”

Goro smiled. “Yes, I suppose your right… Thank you,”

“Yeah, of course we’re right,” Ryuji snickered. “Now then, with all that heavy stuff out of the way…”

The detective cast the blond a wary look. “Sakamoto, what are you planning?”

Ryuji only smiled.

The bathhouse was nearly empty, leaving the entire tub just for them. The girls were all content. The warm water was heaven against their skin, there were no stranger to bother them. It was nice, quiet, and above all else; relaxing.

“Ryuji!” Akechi’s voice screeched. “Where the hell are you touching!”

“Daamn, you must take really good care of your skin, it’s so smooth and soft,” Ryuji’s voice said.

“Indeed, and the scars only work to add character,” Yusuke’s voice flittered up. “this would make for a lovely painting.

“Cut it out!” The detective cried.

“Aww, come on, we’re all guys here,” Ryuji teased.

“…Sounds like the boys are having fun,” Haru observed.

Makoto groaned and pressed a hand to one temple. She didn’t bother to respond. There were no words to articulate just how she felt.

Through the wall, they could hear loud splashing, likely as Ryuji continued to do, whatever it was.

“…Sooo, anyone else feel like guys in an anime bath scene?” Ann asked.

“Totally,” Futaba agreed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had more than a little fun with the character design, this came after seeing a butch of screenshots of Goror's ingame middle from Royal back before it was released, and the comments people had. Also, writing the bath scene and breaking tropes like that was fun.
> 
> In regards to some of the things brought up in this chapter, obviously, there will be references to sexual abuse going forward, but how explicit I get with things all depends on how confident I feel I can write that kind of trama. Same with the allusions to suicide from the previous few chapters.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> fluff chapter. Just wait until I get to the royal version of this AU.

“The case is finally closed. There are no shackles on you anymore.” Morgana said proudly. “We changed the heart of someone huge like the next prime minister. There’s no better final than that. This may be the opportune time to end our deal. I’m sure you’ll be just fine now. You can manage without me being with you.”

“What are you saying? Silly,” Akira snorted, patting the feline on the head. “So what if I no longer need you advising me on missions anymore, I still need you here. It’ll get lonely without you riding alone in my bag everywhere!”

Morgana sighed softly, his blue eyes caring heavy confliction as he refused to meet the raven’s eyes; torn someplace between happy and melancholy. Goro patted the black cat’s flank reassuringly as Akira continued to stroke his head affectionately. It was their way of reassuring Morgana he wasn’t obligated to leave now, that he still had a place among the thieves.

“Don’t worry. I won’t leave immediately.” Morgana said, looking up at both of them. He seemed happier. “But if I just say here, I won’t recall anything…” His expression was once more tinted in melancholy, but he no longer held deep confliction in his eyes. Morgana was happy here, he really was. But his past was still such a blank. “I’m a bit envious of the two of you. Here I am… Still haven’t found anything about myself… If only I could find out what’s in the depths of mementos…”

“Ahh, so that’s what’s eating at you.” Goro mused softly. The brunette gently picked Morgana up by the armpits, the black not-feline voicing a lackluster, half-hearted protest as he was cuddled close to the teen’s chest. “I don’t think any of us would mind continuing to explore mementos, there’s still so much even I don’t know about it, and didn’t the thieves promise to help you out?”

“Goro’s right, Mone.” Akira agreed with a warm smile. “None of us would mind helping a friend out. If it’s important to you, it’s important to us.”

“R-really? You’d really do that for me?” Morgana sniffled.

“Neither of us would be offering if we weren't willing to invest the time and effort.” Goro pointed out. The brunette’s thin fingers traced reassuring circles into the dark fur of Morgana’s back.

“…Thank you, both of you,” Mona said quietly. A soft purr rumbled in his throat. “Alright then, let’s get some sleep. It’s been a long day, and a certain someone here has school in the morning.”

“Aww, really Mona?” Akira fake whined.

“Morgana’s right, no doubt tomorrow will be an eventful day for everyone,” Goro agreed, standing up. He continued to cuddle Morgana against his chest. “I hope you don’t mind, but I’m borrowing your cat for the night.”

“Gahh, stealing my cat? If your that desperate for cuddles, I’m right here!” Akira said, cranking the drama up to 11.

Both the brunette and the cat in his arms laughed at the display. He knew the raven was being playful with his wording. Akira probably knew about the nightmares, or at least suspected they existed. Perhaps, if he was a little more put together, and didn’t carry certain memories with him, he would take the raven-haired teen up on his offer. But this was reality, and the last thing Goro wanted to do was leave Akira feeling guilty over unintentionally sending him into a panic attack. So, instead, he would keep Morgana close for the night.

“Goodnight,” He said gently.

“ ’Night,” Akira replied warmly. “Don’t freeze.”

“I can’t believe even Shido-san had a change of heart triggered in him…” The proxy SIU director said, face pulled into a grim scowled. This was perhaps the worst situation they could have ended up in.

“We got where we are today because we had him take care of whoever got in our way…” Shido’s personal psychiatrist agreed, practically ranting. “If a case is assembled against him… everything about us will be exposed too…” He brought a hand to his head and groaned, frustrated beyond belief. “What are we supposed to do?”

“That’s precisely why we’ve gathered to discuss our option!” The of their group, a legislator who supported Shido, interjected. “Prosecutor Niijima is serious about taking Shido-san to court, right!?”

“Isn’t she under your command? You have to do something!” The psychiatrist snapped.

“I’m very aware of that.” The proxy SIU director growled back. “I’m doing all that I can to prevent that, but what about the public? Shido-san’s conduct was shameful…”

“We’ll just have to continue his policies for a ‘rich country’…” The legislator said.

“A… rich country?” The psychiatrist said hesitantly.

“You mean that plan of advancing foreign affairs by controlling people’s hearts?” The proxy SIU director inquired.

“…After all, the research on it should be proceeding along.” The Legislator explained. “We’ll push forward and continue eliminating any who get in our way by using that world. We’ll pledge to build a powerful country. We ourselves will meet the expectations we had of Shido-san.”

“A powerful country, huh? I see.” The psychiatrist said.

“So we no longer need to rely on that Akechi boy.” The proxy SIU director said. “Fine, but even if we pick up where he left off, would his other associates keep quiet about it?”

“…We should be fine in that regard.” The psychiatrist affirmed. “Anyone who Shido-san aided would feel that their life is at stake after watching the conference. Just as we are now…”

“Fine, at any rate, it seems we must first stop that case from being assembled, no matter the cost.” The proxy SIU director said.

“How do we control public opinion? The psychiatrist asked.

“Thankfully, support for Shido-san still exists.” The legislator assured them. “Masayoshi Shido was a hero who fell before achieving his goals, and we will carry his torch. That’s what we’ll announce to the mass media.” He explained.

“I see.” The psychiatrist said thoughtfully. “Considering the public’s panic after losing their leader, they may latch onto that immediately…”

“But if the general public becomes our enemy, we’re done for.” The legislator warned.

“That means, there’s no turning back.” The proxy SIU director said bluntly. Well then, leave Niijima and Akechi to my group. Can we rely on yours in regards to Shido –san?”

“We’ll make it so that he requires a psychiatric evaluation.” The psychiatrist promised.

“Everyone… We’re in the same boat. You’d best not forget that.” The legislator pointed out.

Morgana was in the middle of that dream-that-felt-more-like-a-memory when something woke him up. He was just at the part where the shadows were surging with life and energy, right before spitting out something that looked like him. Normally, the not-feline could wake up from the dream until it was over, but the sad, soul-wrenching sound of someone whimpering in their sleep broke him out of it.

The black not-cat awoke to the feeling of moisture clinging to his whiskers and hot breath on his face. He’d fallen asleep against Goro’s chest, and that was where he still was. The sleeping detective was curled around his small body on the couch, arms hugging his fur-covered body close like a child might hold tight to a stuffed animal. It was obvious the brunette was still asleep, just as it was obvious he was in the throes of a horrible nightmare.

“No- …s-s-stop! It hurts- that hurts!” Words of mute horror and pain stumbled quietly from his lips.

A few times, after that dreadful time at the hands of corrupt cops in the interrogation cell, Morgana had been awoken by Akira having his own nightmares. This was both familiar territory and uncharted waters at the same time. Akira was easy to start awake, and easy to talk down from a panic attack. But, Goro was not Akira, and Morgana wasn't sure how the brunette would react.

“M-moma…! P-please!”

Slipping easily out of Goro’s hold, the not-feline rubbed his face against the brunette’s forehead.

“Hey, Akechi, you need to wake up.” He gently coaxed. “It’ll be better once you're awake, so come on.”

It took some coaxing, and more than a little rubbing his fur against the other’s skin. When the detective jolted awake with a strangled, silent scream and nearly tossed himself over the edge of the couch, Morgana found himself wondering if he’d actually woken the brunette up, or the nightmare had simply run its course. He quietly watched the other catch himself from falling with fluid grace, chest heaving as the brunette settled into a sitting position.

Akira liked having someone close (Morgana) to hold onto as he calmed down. Taking the initiative, Morgana settled himself into Goro’s lap and started purring loud enough for him to hear. Neither of them said anything as the young detective threaded fingers through his fur.

It was a long time before Goro felt comfortable to go back to sleep.

[Ryuji]: Shido spilled the beans at that conference right?

[Ryuji]: Why isn’t it making any news?

[Ann]: Is it because he’s a politician?

[Makoto]: I have no doubt that political connections are involved.

[Makoto]: But that theoretically shouldn’t have an impact on the news…

[Ryuji]: What about all the people who saw him on TV? They HAD to see that!

[Ryuji]: Everyone should’ve heard him say all that heavy stuff, right?

[Makoto]: Right.

[Makoto]: What happened can’t be kept secret. It’ll be apparent soon.

[Goro]: In regards to the media, most likely news outlets are being pressured to keep quiet about Shido’s confession. It’s standard procedure in damage control.

[Goro]: As for the unusual quiet online, I don’t have an explanation for that. While the men who supported Shido are all undoubtedly using any and all of their connections to suppress any damaging opinions, there is a limit to that.

[Ann]: Well, Makoto’s sister is working on the case!

[Ann]: I’m sure we’ll see the results of that if we just wait patiently.

[Makoto]: Let’s assume so. More importantly, we have exams coming up…

[Akira]: I am ready for anything the teachers try and throw in there!

[Haru]: I think they may have come at a good time.

[Haru]: We’ve really gone through a lot lately. Everyone must be tired.

[Makoto]: It certainly was a good deal of trouble…

[Ryuji]: Uh, exams are more tiring than any shit we’ve been doing…

[Goro]: Really? I find them to be relaxing.

[Goro]: Nothing says normality quite like the theory of literature and the fundamentals of algebra.

[Futaba]: Good luck, you guys!

[Ryuji]: Seriously? I hate you both so much right now!

Goro felt the temptation to respond with something sarcastic, very much along the lines of “love you too”. Instead, he closed the app and took a sip of his coffee. It was a slow period at the moment, the only people inside the tiny café beside himself were Boss and Futaba. The ginger in question was sitting beside him, cackling at Ryuji's suffering.

“Do you really find finals that enjoyable?” She asked.

“Hmm,” He hummed. “well, I’d certainly take finals over many different horrible experiences I’ve endured in the past.”

“Eh, same.” She replied, shrugging.

Boss sighed. The older man was probably at a loss with how to handle two traumatized teenagers whose primary method of coping was deflecting and sarcasm. Goro considered himself fine for the most part, if not functional. He’d lived with his pain and trauma for a long time, long enough to know how best to hide it and pretend he was perfectly normal. 

Futaba wasn’t quite there yet, but she wasn’t under the same obligations and pressure he’d been at that age.

Taking another sip of coffee, the brunette felt himself zone out. Now that things had finally calmed down, he could feel it. Multiple undefined presences, the same as Robin had been, the same as Jone had been. He had formed several new confidants with now just the rest of the phantom thieves, but a few others as well. There was the itch, the impulse to head straight into mementos, give flesh and form to these budding personas, and finally be done with it. Goro restrained himself, was smart enough to know marching straight into mementos right now was probably a bad idea.

For as strong as his primary personas were at the moment, these fledgling persona wouldn’t be very strong. One wrong move and he could fall to a pixie. The brunette didn’t need that level of embarrassment.

“Hey, you alright?” Futaba inquired.

“…” Goro was tempted to say ‘yes’. “I’m, alright, I just, have found myself in a situation.” He answered, the proper words to express himself illuding the detective.

The girl raised an eyebrow. “Uh, oookay, think you could be a little more specific?

The brunette sighed and set his drink down. “It’s, hard to explain. You remember how I awoke to Joan, yes?”

“The moment we entered the palace to ran straight for the nearest shadow, right?” She asked. Goro nodded, he couldn’t have described it quite like that, but she wasn’t wrong. “Yeah, we were all wondering what the heck you were doing. As the second wild card, we were all amazed to see you awaken to another persona.”

“Yes, well, because of recent events, I’m now ready to awaken to a whole host of new personas.” He explained. “I can feel them in the back of my mind, not yet defined or tangible, but still there. The only way to give them a shape is to enter the metaverse and fight. But I have to proceed with caution because these new personas are going to start out at a low level, I’ll be vulnerable.”

“Huh, okay. I get it. You want to go awaken those personas, but need to be careful. Want to ask the others if they're up for a short mementos trip?”

Goro shook his head. “Most of them have finals, that holds precedent at the moment. Besides, Ann and Ryuji are going to need all the studying they can get if they want to survive.” He replied.

“Aint that the truth!” Futaba snickered. “So how do you want to handle this.”

The brunette sighed, slumping forward to rest his face in his arms. “I’d like to get this over with as soon as possible, it’ll be difficult to focus like this, but the others need to focus on school. I suppose, ideally, I’d like to head down with someone to watch my back.”

Futaba picked up her coffee cup and drained the porcelain container in one long swig, then set it back down in its saucer with a soft ‘chink’ of porcelain on porcelain. “Well, if you just need someone to keep tabs on you, I can join you in mementos tomorrow while the others are frying their brains during exams.”

Goro raised his head. “Are you sure? Prometheus isn’t a combat persona, and you aren’t obligated to help me.” He said softly.

The ginger-haired girl shrugged. “I might not be able to fight, but I can support you and keep you out of trouble. If we stick to the highest floors, we shouldn’t encounter anything insanely powerful.”

“…Well, if you don’t mind spending your afternoon watching me acquire new personas, I would much appreciate your assistance.” He said kindly.

“I don’t have anything important scheduled,” Futaba replied cheekily. “Alright then, it’s a date~.”

Once more Akira found himself breathing a silent prayer that he’d had the foresight to study while presumed dead these past few weeks, as well as fate taking pity on the raven by providing him a tutor of sorts. As a third year, the same as Makoto and Haru, Goro had learned the material Akira now found himself reviewing, and was able to help him through it. Sure, most of the stuff he found himself having trouble with, the raven could have solved on his own after an hour or more of slaving away, but it was nice to have someone help break the material down.

Akira felt his confidence grow as Goro helped him break down another algebra formula into more digestible chunks. If he could solve the next few practice problems on his own, the exam would be a piece of cake. The brunette watched him work, expression giving nothing away as the brunette evaluated his work process. Picking apart not only the answers, but the numerous steps taken to find said answers, with the critical scrutiny of a college professor, Goro smiled and nodded.

“Well done, Akira, most of your work is correct,” The older teen grabbed a red pen and scribbled down a few corrections, ruby ink bright against the muted grey of Akira’s pencil markings. “and ultimately the answer was right. You should have no problem with the math portion of the exam.”

“Sorry that I failed to mention your exams. I was busy dealing with some of Shido’s cronies.” Sojiro sighed, rubbing his head. “Well, you ARE students, so it’s only fitting you’re doing a study group.”

“You’re gonna bring us snacks every now and then, right?” Futaba probed hopefully.

“You don’t even have exams…” Sojiro pointed out, sighing at his daughter’s antics.

“Nor are you helping out,” Goro added.

Before the tiny child could retaliate, the door chimed as the café door swung open. The missing thieves smiled and waved as they strolled in.

“Pardon the intrusion,” Makoto said kindly.

“Oh, glad to see you all,” Sojiro replied with a crooked smile. “Don’t mind me. Make yourselves at home.”

“You’re too kind,” Haru said. “We’ll take you up on that offer.”

“Why did you bring me here?” Yusuke sighed. “My school’s exams are already over.”

Oh, right. Kosei held their exams weeks before Shujin did. Both Yusuke and Goro were likely done with their exams for the year. Hopefully, that helped Goro from falling behind.

“C’mon, don’t be so cold! You sayin’ it’s fine if I fail!?” Ryuji said.

“Nothing wrong with that,” Futaba said, face lax and bord despite her cutting words.

“Won’t the results be the same whether you study or not?” Morgana added snidely.

The blond boy scowled at their feline friend. Before an argument could break out, Ann patted her fellow blond on the shoulder and smiled.

”Now, now, you guys. Just think of it as helping me out!” She said cheerfully.

Makoto sighed, shoulders slumped in exhaustion. “I don’t know about this…” The brunette girl was already dead tired, and they hadn’t even started studying yet. Akira shot her a comforting smile. At least he was a good study.

“…What have I gotten myself into?” Goro asked himself quietly.

Dragging chairs over to the booth, everyone was able to cram themselves into a place. The three third years were quickly able to take charge and, despite both Ann and Ryuji’s short attention spans, keep everyone mostly on track. With his own exams over and done with, Goro was able to focus his entire attention on helping the two blonds eke out some semblance of understanding towards their school material, taking some of the pressure off of Makoto and Haru.

It was hilarious to see the detective prince chew both out every time Ryuji tried to have a meltdown over math or English, or when Ann tried to weasel her way out of doing the work herself. The brunette was fair, but that didn’t stop Ann from whining and calling him a slave driver or Ryuji collapsing on the table and accusing the brunette of being a dictator. Makoto wasn’t any gentler, driving the two just as hard, while Haru struggled not to give in and just do all the work herself.

“I’m just going to focus on sections that may likely be on the test. You’re way too short on time.” Makoto groaned. “Neither Goro nor myself have enough energy to give you both a crash course on the entire curriculum.”

“Making a gamble, huh?” Futaba observed.

“Seriously, do either of you even pay attention in class?” Goro seethed. Harue patted him on the shoulder comfortingly.

“If she’s wrong, we die…” Ryuji whimpered.

“I don’t want to die…” Ann cried.

“Um, is it really that bad?” Hare asked.

“This is every day for them,” Yusuke said, having so sympathy for the blond pair.

“At least one person here isn’t completely hopeless,” Makoto said. “Unlike a certain pair I know, he actually does study.”

“Oh yeah, Akira’s good at studying. I feel kind of betrayed.” Ann groaned.

“ ’Betrayed’ might be a bit much,” Haru replied. Gore nodded in agreement.

“Don’t worry, Lady Ann! Even if you're not great at studying, I’ll help you.” Morgana meowed.

“Now then, let’s get to it,” Makoto said, ignoring the black cat. “What do you want me to refresh you on?”

Akira gave Ann and Ryuji both a glance, then shrugged. “How about history?” They all probably could use a break from the math grind.

“I feel like while Akira was out, there was something they were saying would be on the test…” Ann said.

“Oh, I know!” Ryuji exclaimed. “It was, uh, do-.. dokyo-… What was it again?” He groaned, fumbling with the word.

“History… Dokyo…” Makoto murmured, thinking hard for a second. “Was it about the origin of ‘dokyuu’?” The bleach-blond boy nodded. “ ’Dokyuu’ means something that is larger than others of its kind, but the name comes from a battleship…”

“Ahh, the Dreadnought.” Goro supplemented. Makoto nodded.

“They attached ‘do,’ the first sound of that word in Japanese with ‘kyuu,’ which means ‘class.’” She explained.

“That’s it!” Ryuji said.

“…I’m impressed you knew what he was talking about,” Yusuke said.

“Yes, he wasn't even saying the right work,” Goro agreed.

“How about taking a break?” Sojiro proposed.

“Sounds good to me!” Ryuji cheered. “I can’t do anymore.”

Rubbing his head, Goro nodded. “Yes, I feel that if I have to put up with this much longer, someone will be paying for it.” The brunette boy groaned.

He and Akira got up, legs poping from sitting for several hours, and joined Sojiro behind the counter to prepare drinks. The raven helped his guardian prepare the coffee while Gror grabbed cold soda from the fridge and ice from the freezer. In a few short minutes, the pair were setting down cups of coffee, and glasses of icy soda for Ryuji and Futaba.

Sitting back down, Goro sighed wistfully as he took a sip of his drink, the tension easing from his shoulders. Akira took a sip of his own coffee, and savored the myriad of little flavors that blended together. He’d gotten better at brewing and preparing the drink, but Sojiro was still leagues ahead of him.

“So like, we’ve been doin’ Phantom Thief work all this time, right?” Ryuji started. “We learned a bunch doin' that. Even if we study and learn what we can in school, doesn’t it feel kinda pointless?”

Goro raised an eyebrow, silently asking the blond what his point was. Across the table, Makoto squinted her eyes into a sharp glare, already formulating a several-minute long speech about the importance of school in her head.

“Studying is important,” Akira said, trying to save his friend from the coming fallout.

“At least, it’s necessary for Ryuji.” Yusuke pointed out flatly.

“You wanna say that again!?” The blond snarled.

“Those sorts of experiences are important too, but common sense is just as important.” Sojiro tossed in. “You should know better than anyone how nasty adults without common sense can be.”

“That’s a great point.” Haru agreed.

“Someday, you’ll graduate high school and become adults. Then when you get married, you’ll need common sense more than ever.” The adult raven continued.

“Marriage, huh…” Ryuji hummed. “Do you wanna get married, Akira?”

“Marriage, eh,” Akira felt a coy smile split his face. “What do you think, Honey?”

Goro gave him the flattest, dryest look possible, putting the desert to shame. Futaba broke out laughing, nearly falling out of her chair while everyone else who wasn’t Morgana or Yusuke gave him confused and questioning looks. The black feline groaned and shook his head. Sojiro let out a quiet noise that was somewhere between an exasperated sigh and an annoyed groan.

“I dare you to try that again.” The brunette boy hissed out, venom dripping from his lips.

“Well, that won’t be for a while.” Yusuke spoke up.”In the meantime, I’m more concerned with what I’m going to be eating tomorrow.”

That was all the distraction Goro needed to go from completely pissed to a mother hen, in zero seconds flat.

“Cut it out, man. You’re makin’ me hungry.” Ryuji sighed. “Well, I guess we just gotta get back to studyin’.”

“…Yes, if I remember correctly, I was just about to help you two with English grammar,” Goro said, the sweetness of his voice hiding the evil smugness in his smile.

Before either Ann or Ryuji could protest, the brunette was already scribbling down supplementary notes as he launched them into an improv lecture on sentence structure and word usage. Akira, who was doing better than fine in all of his subjects, and thus didn’t have to or need to pay attention, watched his friends with the glee of someone taking pleasure in seeing their friends suffer. That’s what you get for neglecting your studies and mooching off your leader.

The raven had endured many instances of both blonds wrangling him into study sessions, only for them to in the end copy his homework and notes because they simply didn’t have the brainpower. Revenge truly was a dish best served later down the line. Makoto was more than eager to join Goro in dragging the two blonds through the wringer.

Haru took some pity on her juniors, in the form of not being so cruel. The curly-haired brunette did, however, try and stop either of the other two brunettes. Yusuke started sketching in the margins of one of his notebooks, oblivious to the suffering of his teammates. Futaba watched it all unfold as though this was the best drama she’d seen in years.

Hours later, the two blonds collapsed onto the table, their brains metaphorically leaking out their ears.

“That concludes the last subject,” Yusuke noted.

“That took so long!” Ann sobbed.

“We covered all the difficult arts, so you should be fine.” Makoto hummed, patting the blond girl on her back.

“Good work, everyone.” Haru smiled.

“See? You can do it if you try.” Futaba pitched in.

“We’re finally done… Only god, uh… only knows… How’s that saying go again?” Ryuji groaned, defeated.

“Ryuji’s hopeless,” Morgana said.

“What’d you say!?” The blond snapped, energy renewed by anger.

“Well, whatever happens, happens,” Sojiro said. “Isn’t it about time you wrapped it up? Be careful on your way home.”

“Sucks that you have to do exams even after changing Shido’s heart and saving the country.” Morgana commented.”It’s rough being a human. But looking at you… I feel kind of jealous of humans."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prepare thy buns for the flood of persona designs incoming. I am going to hate myself dearly.

**Author's Note:**

> Reposting this because I'm rewriting chapters, and one chapter in the original was bugging out on me. Eh, it made sense in my brain.


End file.
